PML-N announced big but peaceful welcome for Nawaz and Maryam on Friday

LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) has directed its workers to reach the airport on time to receive the party’s leader Nawaz Sharif, with his daughter Maryam Nawaz, here on Friday evening.
Nawaz and Maryam have been sentenced by the accountability court in the Avenfield reference on the charges of owning assets beyond their means.
The court sentenced three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to 10 years in prison and Maryam to seven years.
The third accused, Capt (Retd) Safdar, has been sent to one year’s jail. The court issued warrants for the three following the verdict.
The party has decided not to go violent on the arrival of the father and daughter, but to remain peaceful.
The decision was taken at the meeting of party leaders at its head office in the Model Town area of Lahore on Monday.
It is the second day in a row that the party leadership has gathered here and discussed strategies to welcome their leaders.
The Sunday meeting was chaired by party president, Mian Shahbaz Sharif, the younger brother of Nawaz and former Punjab Chief Minister.
The meeting was attended by by senior party leaders, including former National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq, former railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal and Shehbaz’s son, Hamza Shahbaz.
Another meeting was held at the same place on Monday afternoon which reviewed the arrangements of the “welcome.” It was decided that the party would advise its workers to remain peaceful.
“We will be peaceful and go to the airport to welcome our leaders. We need peace in the country; our workers will not behave harshly,” senior party leader and former railways minister Rafique told the media after the meeting.
A special welcome committee has been formulated that comprises: Party Chairman, Raja Zafarul Haq, Parvez Rasheed, Mushahid Hussain Syed, Hamza Shahbaz, PML-N city president, Parvez Malik, Amir Muqam, Shah Muhammad, Abdul Qadir Baloch and Marriyum Aurangzeb.
The party has directed all the ticket holders and party office bearers from the city to motivate its workers to reach the airport.
The party office-bearers from Na 125 and 126 held a special meeting with Hamza Shahbaz. They were advised that every person should bring 250 people with him to the airport on Friday. Similar meetings were held with the other constituencies’ leaders.
Political pundits say that the party is trying to motivate its workers by turning the return of Nawaz into an event and get political mileage on the opponents.
“The party has invited its workers to go to the airport to receive its leader Mian Nawaz Sharif. The PML-N worker is depressed at the moment and calling him at the airport is an attempt to boost morale,” senior political analyst Javed Farooqi told Arab News.
PML-N spokesperson Maryam Aurangzeb told the media after the meeting that the party would not adopt a policy of confrontation.
“We will be peaceful. No confrontation. We will not give any chance to anyone to get escape from the elections,” she said.

PML-N announced big but peaceful welcome for Nawaz and Maryam on Friday