LAHORE: PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif Sunday rejected the assumption as fake news that he was about to resign from the party’s presidency. The former provincial chief minister was unhappy over the party’s unreasonable performance in the recently-concluded Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections after his election strategy was allegedly ignored by the party leadership. “When I was finally allowed to speak during the budget session, after four days of chaos [in the Parliament], I said the budget is a fake one since the people’s pockets are empty. “Just like the budget, this news report is also fake,” he added. Shahbaz Sharif rejected speculation as well that he had been sidelined, adding that “the PML-N is like our house, and Nawaz Sharif, every party leader, worker and women [leaders] over the past 40 years have played their role in building it”. ‘Was offered prime ministership twice’ The former Punjab chief minister informed that in the last couple of decades, former president Ghulam Ishaq Khan and director General (retd) Pervaiz Musharraf offered him the post of prime minister ship twice. He said no single individual or a single institution was responsible for a weak democracy in the country, and “all are culprits here” [Is hamam me sab nangay hain]. Shahbaz Sharif stressed that to take the country forward, they need to learn lessons from one’s past mistakes. When asked why he was failing to convince his elder brother [Nawaz Sharif] and niece [Maryam Nawaz] of the need for reconciliation, Sharif said every matter in the party is decided with consultation, and his viewpoint is known to everyone. The PML-N presidnt said he believed in “natural reconciliation”, and he wanted everyone to set aside their personal egos and join hands to eradicate poverty from the country.