‘Shehbaz Sharif’s dinner had nothing to do with PDM’: Maryam Nawaz

PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday said her party president Shehbaz Sharif’s dinner had nothing to do with the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). Shehbaz held a dinner on Monday for Opposition leaders, including those from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Awami National Party (ANP).

“He hosted the dinner as the leader of Opposition, as they had to devise a strategy for the budget session,” said Maryam. “Shehbaz Sharif is the Opposition leader [in National Assembly]. He hosted the dinner for parliamentarians. My presence was not needed,” she said when asked about her absence from the dinner.

At the dinner reception last night, leaders from the opposition parties candidly discussed a host of domestic & foreign challenges facing the country. We agreed that there was need for collective solutions to national issues. We will evolve a joint strategy for the budget session

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) May 25, 2021

Maryam said PDM had not received any response from the PPP regarding the party’s return to the alliance. She said that when the PPP addresses PDM’s concerns, the alliance will deliberate over the matter.

شاہد خاقان عباسی صاحب نے اسی موقف کو بیان کیا جو مسلم لیگ ن کا موقف ہے جو میرا موقف ہے جو پی ڈی ایم کا موقف ہے پیپلزپارٹی کو جو شوکاز نوٹس جاری ہوا تھا اسکا جواب ابھی نہیں آیا جب جواب آئے گا پھر بیٹھ کے دیکھیں گے.@MaryamNSharif pic.twitter.com/OTeeirh8gU

— PMLN (@pmln_org) May 25, 2021

Meanwhile, PDM Secretary-General Shahid Khaqan Abbasi stated that there was no place for the PPP within the opposition alliance until it restored the trust it had broken.

اگر ملک میں گروتھ 3.94 فیصد ہوتی تو آج بےروزگاری نہ ہوتی آج ملک کی آمدن میں کمی نہ ہوتی ملک میں مہنگائی نہ ہوتی.
مولانا فضل الرحمان نے بڑی وضاحت سے پی ڈی ایم میں کہا ہے کہ آپ اپنے فیصلے پہ نظر ثانی کریں جو اعتماد توڑا ہے اسے بحال کریں.شاہدخاقان عباسی pic.twitter.com/nYoGVdk9YM

— PMLN (@pmln_org) May 25, 2021

Speaking to the media in Islamabad, the PML-N leader said that  the opposition alliance was formed for a particular purpose. “If you are not committed to the movement, then there is no place for you within the PDM.”

“The PPP can’t just rejoin the movement. They can only do so once they restore their trust in the PDM. The alliance does not have a revolving-door policy that you break its trust, leave the movement and try to come back again when you face difficulties,” added Khaqan.

“The door is closed. The door will only open when you rebuild trust,” he said.

Maryam Nawaz’s media talk