ISLAMABAD – Nawaz Sharif faces rebellion inside the party as severalmembers of PML-N’s parliamentary party on Thursday voiced theirreservations regarding a recent controversial interview of their party’ssupreme leader published by *Dawn*.
Nawaz, the former prime minster, in an interviews to *Dawn* had said:”should we allow them [non-state actors] to cross the border and kill 150people in Mumbai?” — remarks that were perceived across the border as anopen admission that the state of Pakistan was involved in the infamous 2008Mumbai attacks.
In a parliamentary committee meeting chaired by incumbent PML-N presidentShahbaz Sharif today, several party members — reportedly including SardarAshiq Hussain Gopang, Abdul Rahman Kanju and Shafqat Baloch — expressedconcerns regarding the interview, noting that Nawaz’s remarks were playedup by the Indian media and that chants of *Modi ka jo yar hai, ghaddar haighaddar hai* (Whoever is Modi’s friend is a traitor) had subsequently donethe rounds.
At this, Shahbaz, who has taken over from Nawaz as the PML-N presidentfollowing the latter’s disqualification, said that “whoever arranged thatinterview is the biggest enemy of Nawaz Sharif”.
Shahbaz said no one should say things which could hurt the country, andassured his party that there will soon be a softness in Nawaz’s rhetoric oncontentious issues.
Shahbaz did defend his sibling, saying: “No one is more patriotic thanNawaz Sharif”. However, he also added that he will try and convince thePML-N ‘supreme leader’ to consult his party before talking on sensitivematters.