Shocked loyalists pin hope on CWC
By Faraz Hashmi
ISLAMABAD, Dec 10: A group of Nawaz loyalists on Sunday endorsed the interim decisions taken by the party president before his departure and condemned his banishment from the country.
The party members, who are yet to recover from the shock of the sudden departure of their jailed president, decided to convene a meeting of the central working committee of the party immediately after Eidul Fitr.
"It was an informal meeting where we discussed the recent developments and expulsion of Nawaz Sharif," said Javed Hashmi who has been appointed as the acting president of the party. He was speaking at a press conference held at the residence of Kulsoom Nawaz.
The meeting reposed confidence in the leadership of Nawaz Sharif and resolved to honour all his decisions and commitments. "The members reaffirmed their confidence in the leadership of Nawaz Sharif," Javed Hashmi said.
However some inside sources said that most of the members were not happy over Nawaz Sharif's decision to leave the country. The members were disappointed at being left in the lurch by the party president. Disappointment and confusion was written large on the faces of most of the members present at the briefing.
Mr Hashmi refuted the claims made by the government that Nawaz Sharif had sought pardon and submitted repeated appeals to the government. He said Nawaz Sharif had been forced to leave the country by the military government. When asked whether the Saudi prince was also forced by the government to come and seek expatriation of Nawaz Sharif, he said, Nawaz Sharif through his exile had emerged as an international figure.
Nawaz, who was condemned as a corrupt, inefficient and incompetent leader had been welcomed by the Saudis and received with open arms, he said.
"No Muslim Leaguer could ever think of submitting an apology to the military government," he said, adding that the party members vowed to continue the struggle for the restoration of democracy.
( Dawn, Dec 11, 2000 )
