Terming the judgement of the Supreme Court declaring disqualification of a lawmaker under Article 62(1) (f) of the Constitution as lifetime, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif said, "It was expected and vengeful but no one can snatch people's leader from them." Talking to PML-N workers at his residence in Jati Umra after offering Juma prayers, Nawaz said: "It is apparent that he is the target of all these judgements." He asked the PML-N workers to show restraint and remain steadfast in the face of injustice.
Nawaz said they would continue struggle for giving respect to the vote apart from serving the masses. He also asked the workers to spread the message of the party in every nook and corner of the country. Commenting on the judgement, PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif in a series of tweets said that Nawaz Sharif does not need "any formal office to continue guiding his party and serving his people."
Shahbaz said: "Nawaz Sharif is not the name of a person rather he represents a philosophy and an ideology of public service, supremacy of constitution and respect for vote. A leader like him does not need any formal office to continue guiding his party and serving his people." Shahbaz further said that today is the day of trial and tribulation for Pakistan and the whole nation. A national leader who made the defense of the country impregnable and he was also elected thrice as the prime minister of Pakistan but he has been stopped from serving the country through a court judgement.
Giving his opinion about the lifelong disqualification of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Shahbaz said that Nawaz is not the name of an individual only as he symbolizes an ideology and philosophy having its foundations on the principles of public service, supremacy of the constitution and respect for the vote. The PML-N President further said that he is of the opinion that leaders like Nawaz Sharif do not require any traditional rank or position to guide and serve the political party as well as the people of Pakistan. Despite this verdict, Shahbaz said the party of Nawaz Sharif is well alive as the largest political party under his guidance and will continue to be in future as well. "We believe in the supremacy of law and the neutrality of its arbiters," he said.
Shahbaz stated that despite the SC verdict, the PML-N will "continue to be the largest political party of the country under the guidance of Nawaz Sharif." On the other hand, political analysts said this was a very important decision which would have political implications. Senior analyst Talat Hussain said that following the SC verdict, the narrative of the PML-N would become more aggressive. According to him, the verdict would not only have an impact on the PML-N but also those members who were considering leaving the party.
He said: "There is a possibility that the PML-N might boycott the elections to delegitimize them. But it is my own opinion they would need to see how strong they are as a party. When parties boycott the electoral process they suffer."