The addition of “a group of sycophants” within the PML-N prompted Asif Kirmani to bid adieu to the party after serving for so many years. He claimed that the group has been influencing former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s decisions.

“I rejected many post offers. Nawaz Sharif made lucrative offers to me, but I did not accept them,” he said while responding to criticism over his decision to quit the PML-N.

He was on News Insight with Amir Zia aired on Aaj News on Friday to speak about his decision and the PML-N.

Kirmani, ex-senator and political secretary to PML-N President Nawaz lamented that politics have changed from public issues to power politics.

He went on to add that the PML-N graph went down when the party changed its “vote ko izzat do” narrative and did not hold elections during the PDM government.

He claimed that the ‘group of sycophants’ pressurised Nawaz to vote for the extension of the former army chief and decided against holding elections under PDM rule.

“Nawaz with whom I worked took popular and independent decisions. I was searching for him and what were the reasons that some people influenced his opinion and made him helpless. We have suffered in the form of power politics.”

When asked, he lamented that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz does not have advisers and team like her father had when he was the CM.

Kirmani admitted that there was a gap between the workers and the PML-N and added that he always told Nawaz that “our fight is not against Imran Khan but against inflation, poverty, unemployment, and high electricity bills.”

He said: “When you go for power politics then you compromise. He [Nawaz] did compromise.”