The dissident PML(N) leader Muhammad Zubair in a TV talk show a few days ago made a startling revelation that General Bajwa had met PML(N) supremo Nawaz Sharif in London before no-confidence against Imran Khan. According to him, the two met twice before the no-confidence motion, and General Bajwa was promised an extension in his tenure. He also said that Maryam had asked him to make sure that not even members of the Sharif family knew about this meeting.

Coming from the mouth of a man who till recently had been the spokesperson for Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz and was a vociferous voice in defending the party and its leaders, created quite a stir. The statement tended to corroborate the narrative of PTI about a conspiracy to topple Imran Khan in which General Bajwa had a pivotal role. The PTI reacting to this revelation immediately demanded putting General Bajwa in the dock for having conspired with convicted Nawaz Sharif against an elected government and also urged for the formation of a judicial commission to probe the matter thoroughly. The party did not bother to ascertain the authenticity of Zubair’s claim and took his statement at face value.

The issue remained a hotly discussed subject in the media as well as in the political circles. The PML (N) outrightly rejected the statement by Muhammad Zubair challenging its authenticity. Senator Irfan Siddiqui categorically said that there had been no meeting or telephonic contact between Nawaz Sharif and General Bajwa since July 28, 2017, when Nawaz Sharif was removed from power by the Supreme Court except a brief one-minute condolence........

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