LAHORE: Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders have applied for the United Kingdom’s visas in a bid to meet party supremo Nawaz Sharif in London.

Sources within the PML-N confirmed Tuesday that 20 party leaders, including former premier and PML-N’s Senior Vice-President Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Secretary Information Marriyum Aurangzeb, PML-N’s K-P President Ameer Muqam and Nawaz’s close aide Rana Tanveer Hussain have applied for UK Visas.

Last week, England eased COVID-19 rules for fully vaccinated travellers from Pakistan. People returning to England from Pakistan will not have to quarantine as they are off the UK’s so-called COVID red list for travel.

“PML-N’ President Shehbaz Sharif, Senior Vice-President Maryam Nawaz and Secretary-General Ahsan Iqbal will not be able to go to the UK as their names are on the exit control list (ECL). They will attend the meeting virtually from Pakistan,” a senior party leader told Bol News.

According to the party insiders, Nawaz was gearing up for an aggressive campaign against Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government, and during the meeting with the senior party leadership, he would formulate the party’s strategy.

“Quaid Nawaz Sharif believes that Imran Khan has failed to live up to the expectations of the people of Pakistan. He has also failed to deliver what he had promised during election campaigns,” said the party leader.

The PML-N leader also hinted that Nawaz was aiming to give a tough time to the government, and said, the PML-N supremo will finalise protests, rallies and jalsas against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the coming days.

“The senior party leaders are ready to take the PTI government with an iron fist, both within and outside the parliament. They will also highlight the dismal performance of the PTI and the Punjab governments in a press conferences later,” the PML-N leader told Bol News.

The PML-N leadership is likely to be advised by the party supremo to issue white papers comparing PML-N’s tenure with the current government, said the PML-N leader and added that reports of an increasing rift within the party would also come under discussion during the meeting.

“Nawaz Sharif is aware that any defection at this point will be a decisive blow to the PML-N. Therefore, he will ensure an all-out effort to save the party from clashes at least, before the next general elections in 2023,” he added.