Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday called on his party’s patron Nawaz Sharif in London.
The development comes soon after Abbasi resigned from the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet reportedly over differences with the party leadership on the purchase of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Quoting sources, Geo News said that Abbasi tendered his resignation due to disagreement over the purchase of LNG from Azerbaijan through an intergovernmental approach on June 18.
Abbasi showed his opposition to obtaining LNG from Azerbaijan via the state-owned Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL). Instead, he advocated for a private Pakistani company to handle the purchase of LNG cargo. The Petroleum Division, as per the sources, had declined to prepare the required summary as directed by Abbasi.
Talking to journalists following his meeting with the PML-N supremo, Abbasi said, “I stand with the party [PML-N]. I am a party worker.”
The former premier asserted that he had no differences with the PML-N or the party’s supremo. “There are no differences within the party ranks,” Abbasi said, adding that he never hinted at launching a new political party.
There are reports that former finance minister Miftah Ismail and Abbasi are not in the good books of the party’s Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz.
Earlier this year, Abbasi stepped down from the party’s post after Maryam was elevated as PML-N’s chief organiser and senior vice president by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is also PML-N president.
During his today’s interaction with the journalists in London, Abbasi said that he had informed Nawaz that it would not be possible for him to stay in the party position if he would change leadership.
Responding to another question, he said that holding general elections in the country in October-November are compulsory as per the law and the Constitution.
Criticising the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Abbasi said that provincial assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were dissolved to create anarchy in the country.
To another question, the PML-N leader said he would contest the upcoming elections if these are “meaningful”.
