PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz has expressed hope that her father and party supremo Nawaz Sharif would be the next prime minister in the general elections, which are scheduled to take place in the last week of January, after his return to Pakistan.

“Inshallah, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif,” she said when a reporter asked whether the PML-N supremo would be the next PM.

Maryam, along with top party leaders, is in London to discuss the polls and her father’s return. In a video, uploaded by the PML-N on X, formerly known as Twitter, she was responding to different queries.

Nawaz’s morale was high and he was happy to return home after so many years, Maryam said and explained that the PML-N supremo spent 11 years of his political career – out of total 40 – in exile.

“I hope it will be his last exile. Now, he wants to live in his country and serve his people,” said Maryam.

Maryam said she does not pay attention to rumours while responding to a query on the uncertainty surrounding over Nawaz’s return

“Preparations are under way in Pakistan, AJK, GB [for Nawaz’s welcome. It will be a historic reception Inshallah,” she said.

The bigwigs of PML-N had a meeting in London, UK, the party said on Friday, to discuss former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan and the elections in January. Earlier this week, Shehbaz and Maryam had left for London after political changes in the country.

“Pakistan was brought to the brink of ruin under a conspiracy and a group of thieves was imposed on Pakistan in 2017,” the party quoted Nawaz as saying in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Ishaq Dar, and top party leaders were seen in a short video uploaded on X. But the party deleted the post after some hours and posted a new one which did not mention Nawaz’s quote about the alleged conspiracy of 2017.

“Until all the characters involved in this conspiracy are brought to justice, Pakistan will not be able to move forward,” said Nawaz.

Sources told Aaj News that the PML-N supremo did not respond to reporters’ queries when he reached his office to attend an “important meeting”. He got out of the car and rushed to the office.

They added that “important decisions” were expected in the meeting. The party was holding discussions on the PML-N campaign for the general elections. It was likely to make a final decision on Nawaz’s return to Pakistan. The party supremo is scheduled to return on October 21.

The huddle was also set to have a discussion on resolving the reservations of the disgruntled party leaders. There were reports that Nawaz had “immediately summoned” Shehbaz to London after reports of factionalism within the party.

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One of the groups in the PML-N had complained that they were being ignored on matters pertaining to Nawaz’s return while a couple of groups of former lawmakers had informed Shehbaz about their concerns.

Sources said that “sensitive quarters” had expressed concerns over Nawaz’s recent statements and many party leaders were apparently angry with such views.

Earlier in the day, Shehbaz told reporters in London that there was no change in Nawaz’s return to Pakistan and he was again in the UK capital for a discussion.

London meeting was held to deliberate over administrative affairs: Shehbaz

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has said that he had landed in London to attend a party meeting to discuss “legal and administrative” matters.

While speaking to reporters after the meeting in the UK capital, Shehbaz stated that he had arrived in the city on the directives of the party supremo Nawaz Sharif to participate in the party huddle.

The PML-N president emphasised that decisions regarding all the issues had been taken.

He reiterated his claims that the public mandate was stolen from Nawaz in 2018 and described it as a “joke”. The former prime minister slammed PTI Chairman Imran Khan for setting a bad precedent in the country’s politics.