Shahbaz Sharif angry over AJK polls strategy being ignored, threatens to quit PML-N presidency: report

LAHORE: PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif has threatened to quit the party leadership after his strategy for the Azad Kashmir elections was ignored, resulting in the party's humiliating loss, according to a Daily Jang report published Friday.

Despite ruling the region for five years, the PML-N came third in the July 25 polls, while PTI emerged as the largest party and PPP came second with 11 seats.

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz led the party's campaign in AJK and held multiple rallies attended by a large number of people. However, the party could only bag six seats out of 45.

Shehbaz Sharif is extremely angry over his political strategy being ignored and has threatened to quit the party presidentship, the Daily Jang report said.

Sources within PML-N, however, have not rejected or confirmed the report, but political insiders have said that Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz has reportedly stopped his father from stepping down.

"Hamza has assured Shahbaz of taking up this matter with PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif."

It is also being said that Maryam Nawaz will remain inactive for at least one year.

When contacted for a comment, senior PML-N leaders, chairperson Raja Zafarul Haq, secretary-general Ahsan Iqbal, spokesperson Marriuym Aurangzeb and Ata Tarrar, did not attend phone calls.