ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said his party will not take dictation on any ‘minus formula’.
“We didn’t choose the policy of conflict but were, instead, dragged into a conflict. We will not take dictation on any minus formula now,” he told a high-level party meeting at the Punjab House after arrival from London.
The ousted prime minister advised his party leaders to refrain from giving emotional reactions. “It’s time to take a principled stance … if we stand for our principles, no one will be able to break us. The decision party takes will have to be followed by every worker including myself,” he said.
Earlier in the morning, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-786 carrying Sharif landed at Islamabad’s Benazir Bhutto International Airport at around 8:20am. A large number of PML-N supporters and party leaders turned up at the airport to welcome him.
Although a NAB team was present to ‘receive’ Nawaz Sharif upon his arrival at the airport and serve court summons on him, the task could not be accomplished at the time. A four-member NAB team kept waiting outside the Rawal Lounge to serve summons on Sharif and complete paperwork regarding surety bonds to be presented in the court, however, the ex-prime minister departed for Punjab House in his car right after exiting the state guest house. A few hours later, a NAB team reached the Punjab House to serve the summons and complete the paperwork. According to sources, PML-N leader Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry submitted surety bonds worth Rs 1 million to secure bail for Nawaz Sharif. He assured the NAB officials that the former PM would appear before the court in the hearing scheduled for Friday (today).
The court had issued bailable arrest warrants for the former premier after he failed to appear before it on October 26 in references related to graft and having assets beyond his known sources of income.
Published in Daily Times, November 3rd 2017.
