Shahbaz Sharif takes first major decision after taking charge as PML N President
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ISLAMABAD -CM Shahbaz Sharif has taken a first major decision after taking over the command of the PML N.
Shehbaz Sharif has deferred the formation of the Parliamentary Board of the party and decided to first fill the top party slots.
These top positions include five senior vice-presidents, the central secretary general and finance secretary of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
The process of filling these slots would be announced soon as the general elections are around the corner and formation of parliamentary board could not be delayed any further. The whole exercise would need to be completed in the next couple of weeks.
Selection of people for the top slots would show how the new president would run party affairs. They said the composition of parliamentary board would also show Shehbaz’s grip on party affairs.
The sources said there was tacit divide in the party with a very strong group toeing the policies and narrative of Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz, while on the other hand some senior party leaders were of the view that instead of treading a confrontational course the party should avoid direct clash with the state institutions.
They said that appointment of senior vice-presidents, general secretary and other top office bearers would show whether hawks would be calling the shots in the party or the doves would overpower them and dilute the aggressive and hard-hitting position taken by Nawaz and Maryam.
A senior party parliamentarian desiring not to be named said that so far Shehbaz Sharif was cautiously moving, and Nawaz and his daughter still seemed dominating the party.
He said that although Shehbaz was holding the top position in the party but all the meetings for the recently held Senate elections were chaired by Nawaz Sharif, who being the “Quaid for life” was still all-powerful figure in PML-N and taking all key decisions.
Sources in the party said a very strong group within the party was directly working under Maryam Nawaz and taking directions from her, so the fresh appointments in the party’s top hierarchy would show whether the Maryam group would get some major share in the top positions or it would be sidelined by the new party chief.
They said that till the time Nawaz was playing an active role in politics in whatever position, it would be extremely difficult for Shehbaz to make any major impact on the functioning of the party and take the key decisions.
Shehbaz is in total disagreement with his elder brother on dealing with the judiciary and other state institutions, and he has so far failed to convince Nawaz of the utility of his point of view and persuade him to play humble.
