Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz yesterday dispelled rumours that PML-N President and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif was considering going against his brother PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, saying he would have become the prime minister if he was disloyal to the three-time prime minister but “he rejected all offers”.
Maryam was talking to the media at the their Jati Umra residence here before leaving for Sindh where she has been invited by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to attend a rally today on the death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. 
She was responding to a poser about why Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) secretary general Muhammad Ali Durrani called on Shahbaz in Kot Lakhpat jail to convey a message from his party chief Sibghatullah Rashidi, better known as the Pir of Pagaro, instead of approaching her or other leaders.
Maryam explained that the party had received several messages, including from the government, for negotiations but after not getting a response, “people were being sent” for negotiations to meet the incarcerated leader.
Maryam questioned how “such personalities” were allowed to visit Shahbaz in Kot Lakhpat jail without any “issues or obstacles” when even his family was not allowed to meet him. “This clears a lot of things,” she said.
Maryam also dispelled rumours that Shahbaz was considering going against his brother, saying that it had been “proven in the past and today that Shshbaz Sharif is very loyal to his brother and his party”.
“If he was not loyal, then there would be no need to bring this inefficient prime minister to power, [Shahbaz] would have been made prime minister. He has rejected all such offers and the proof of that is him and his son being in jail,” she added.
On Thursday, Durrani had reportedly said after meeting Shahbaz in jail that the PML-N leader was “asked to play his role in persuading the opposition against resigning from the assemblies as the move could wrap up the democratic system”.
“There is a need to initiate a grand dialogue among the national institutions and politicians, make the parliament functional and gather all Muslim Leagues under one platform,” Durrani said.
He claimed Shahbaz also “agreed to the proposal of Pir of Pagaro” but told him, “I cannot play any role as long as I am in jail.”
When asked whether Durrani’s meeting with Shahbaz was also related to upcoming by-elections for the seats of National and provincial assemblies, Maryam said there was a debate within the party and there were two opinions.
“The overwhelming opinion is that we should not participate in the by-elections. We can sacrifice a few seats when we know this government is going,” she said, adding however that the final decision would be taken by (Pakistan Democratic Movement chief) Maulana Fazlur Rehman and the PDM on January 2.
to a question regarding the possibility of a dialogue with the government, Maryam said: “I believe Nawaz Sharif has made a very determined decision. Maulana Fazlur Rehman is very clear and all leaders of the PDM are very clear that no negotiations will be held with this fake government.”
Maryam claimed to have so far received 159 out of 160 resignations from PML-N lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly and one was remaining because the MPA concerned was hospitalised and had been put on ventilator. She had also received resignations from 95 members of the National Assembly (MNAs), she said.
Referring to the recent controversy in which the National Assembly Secretariat issued notices to two PML-N lawmakers – Murtaza Javed Abbasi and Sajjad Awan – for confirmation of their resignations which they denied they had sent to the NA speaker, Maryam said: “Nobody can expect Murtaza Javed Abbasi and Sajjad Awan to quit. They themselves are surprised how their resignations reached there.”
She said all party lawmakers had been directed to send resignations to the PML-N leadership by December 31 and then, if the PDM decided to do so, the party leadership would submit the resignations to the NA speaker.
Maryam said those who were trying to create rifts among party members would not be successful. “Even our members know the future is not Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s. They tried to do that with (Rehman’s) Jamiat Ulema Islam and it backfired. People are very aware now and if you bring forward party dissidents and bring them into the mainstream, people understand it and it will not work.”
Maryam said she was “very happy” to be going to Benazir Bhutto’s anniversary event. “She gave her life bravely for this country. It is an honour for me to attend her anniversary.”
She said that the Charter of Democracy given to the nation by Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif changed history and now she, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and all leaders of the PDM would take it forward.
She also emphasised that while all parties under the PDM’s banner had different ideologies, they were “all united for Pakistan”.