Shahid Khaqan Abbasi resigns as Senior Vice President of PML-N

Former prime minister and PML-N Senior Vice President (SVP) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has tendered his resignation from the party.However it is believed Abbasi is not going to leave party altogether.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) having given a deadline to the PML-N to conduct intra-party elections till March 14, local media has reported tensions are brewing within the party.

It is rumored that Abbasi was not willing to continue with Maryam Nawaz if she was elevated to party’s top office. The disagreements seem to be particularly stark around Maryam’s promotion, the finance minister’s seat and economic policies.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, however washed away all rumors about his alleged displeasure about Maryam Nawaz as the party’s chief organiser and SVP of the party.He insisted of not having any diappointment or being unhappy with either  Nawaz Sharif or Maryam Nawaz about party’s decisions.He stated as whenever Nawaz Sharif calls him he becomes available to him.

Shahid Khaqan decided to continue to work for country’s wellbeing through the forum of Reimagining Pakistan.
Earlier this morning, media reports had surfaced of the senior party leader’s decision to distance himself from the role after the recently appointed party Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz returned to the country.

PML-N leader Mohammad Zubair stated that PML-N “needed” Abbasi because of his professional experience and political insight.He has resigned from the post […] he is a party worker and a senior leader, I don’t think resigning from the post will affect his stature,” Zubair told reporters in Lahore.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has been holding seminars and press conferences along with other like-minded leaders from across the political arena — including former finance minister Miftah Ismail, former senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and former Balochistan chief minister Aslam Raisani — in a campaign they’ve termed “Reimagining Pakistan”.

The forum is hosting its next seminar in Karachi on the 18th February. Abbasi reiterated that the Reimagining Forum is not a political party.

He urged its critics to cooperate with it instead creating confusion about its work, and said, “We are impressing upon the people to analyse the situation calmly and find a way out to deal with the complexities being faced by the nation.” Abbasi regretted Imran Khan has been abusing the parties and the leaders of the ruling alliance day and night while these parties are not doing anything to stop his foul-mouthing.