“Former member of National Assembly Raja Riaz Ahmed met with PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif and party President Shehbaz Sharif. Raja Riaz Ahmed joined the PML-N while expressing full confidence in the leadership of Nawaz Sharif,” said the PML-N in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday.

Such a development was expected, according to many experts as Riaz had openly spoken about his intention of joining the N-league when he was the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly in the last Parliament.

Riaz, who was among the PTI’s disgruntled leaders, became the opposition leader after many leaders of the Imran Khan-led party quit the assemblies in protest against the ouster of their party leader. Khan was ousted through a vote of no-confidence in April 2022.

PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar, Mian Nasir Janjua, Attaullah Tarar, Malik Ahmad Khan, Azam Nazir Tarar, and Amjad Parvez were also present on the occasion.

The PML-N is preparing for the return of Nawaz who is scheduled to return on October 21 to spearhead the party’s election campaign.

Without explaining his comments, Riaz told reporters in London that some important decisions would be made in the next few days. “I have given February 15 date for elections. Elections will be held a week before or after February 15.”

He added that Nawaz would be given a rousing welcome upon his return to the country.

“If N-league was supposed to run away from elections, Nawaz Sharif won’t have [decided to] return to the country.”

Meanwhile, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif lamented that a dictator’s law was restored after the Supreme Court struck down the amendments to the National Accountability Law.

He described the law as “controversial”, adding that a law passed by Parliament was rejected.