PML-N London meet: PM says Nawaz not stepping down as party chief

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi after attending a meeting of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawazs (PML-N) top leadership here, refuted rumours that Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif would replace his brother Nawaz Sharif as the party chief.

Abbasi said Nawaz Sharif would appear before an accountability court on November 3 in connection with National Accountability Bureau (NAB) references against him, Geo News reported.

Besides Nawaz Sharif, his sons, Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz, Prime Minister Abbasi, Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar attended the meeting.

Nawaz Sharif is expected to return to Pakistan on November 2 and attend court proceedings on November 3.

He was earlier expected to return to Pakistan on October 23 to attend court proceedings, but those plans changed and he proceeded to Saudi Arabia.

On Thursday, an accountability court issued bailable arrest warrants against Nawaz Sharif after he failed to appear before the court in connection with three references filed by the NAB.

While issuing the warrants, Judge Muhammad Bashir dismissed Sharif's application for exemption from personal appearance. The judge issued warrants in two references against the former Prime Minister, while in the third reference, he issued notice to a surety giver.

--IANS

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