“I stand with the party [PML-N]. I am a party worker,” says former prime minister  

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz senior leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi calls on his party’s supremo Nawaz Sharif. — Twitter/@pmlnmianimran/File

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday called on his party’s supremo Nawaz Sharif in London and refuted reports about differences within the ranks of the ruling party.

Reports of split in the PML-N emerged on June 8 when the former premier resigned from the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet after reportedly developing differences with the party leadership over a matter relating to the purchase of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Well-placed sources claimed that the former prime minister tendered his resignation due to disagreement over the purchase of LNG from Azerbaijan through an intergovernmental approach on June 18.

Abbasi expressed opposition to obtaining LNG from Azerbaijan via the state-owned Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL). Instead, he advocated for a private Pakistani company to handle the purchase of LNG cargo. The Petroleum Division, as per the sources, had declined to prepare the required summary as directed by Abbasi.

Talking to journalists following the meeting with the PML-N supremo, Abbasi said, “I stand with the party [PML-N]. I am a party worker.”

The former premier asserted that he had no differences with the PML-N or the party’s supremo.

“There are no differences within the party ranks,” Abbasi said, adding that he never hinted at launching a new political party.

It is reportedly considered that former finance minister Miftah Ismail and Abbasi are not in the good book of the party’s Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz.

Earlier this year, Abbasi stepped down from the party’s post after Maryam was elevated as the PML-N’s chief organiser and senior vice president by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is also PML-N president.

During his today’s interaction with the journalists in London, the ex-premier said that he had already informed Nawaz that it would not be possible for him to stay in the party position if he would change leadership.

Responding to another question, he said that holding general elections in the country in October-November are compulsory as per the law and the Constitution.

Lashing out at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Abbasi said that the provincial assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were dissolved to create anarchy in the country.

To another question, the PML-N leader said that he would contest the upcoming elections if these are “meaningful”.