ISLAMABAD – The reports of Shahbaz Sharif being made The PML N Chief seemsto be false as The ruling party is going to select New interim chieffollowed by the permanent one.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has decided to bring in an actingpresident of the party for an interim period, and most likely, seniorVice-President of the party Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasir would be given theresponsibility once again.
The formal announcement in this connection would be made at the CentralWorking Committee (CWC) huddle of the party scheduled for February 27 inLahore where party Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq would make the announcement,Adviser to Prime Minister Irfan Siddiqui told the media here on Saturday.
Sources in the party said that the decision for the election of the newparty president would be made by the general body of the party after Senateelections, and by the time, party leaders would come up with a consensuscandidate for the top slot.
The sources said that reports of Punjab Chieflink> Minister Shahbaz Sharif emerging as aconsensus candidate for the slot proved wrong and at the meeting at PunjabHouse Islamabad a few days back, where the issue came up for discussion, asizeable people came up with the suggestion to make Kulsoom Nawaz as thenew party chief link> .
The CWC of the party would be chaired by party Chairman Raja Zafarul Haqwhile Acting Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal would present proposals forappointing the acting president of the party.
Soon after the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif as prime minister, he hadalso stepped down as party president and the party’s CWC had appointedSardar Nasir as the party’s acting president.
Under the Political Parties Act, if a party president’s seat falls vacant,it is required to be filled within 45 days but the time period for holdingthe office by the acting president could be extended, as it was done untilthe bar on holding the party office (by Sharif) was removed throughlegislation in the Parliament in the shape of Political Parties Act 2017.
Sources in the party said that the deferment to fill the top slot indicatedthat things were not as that flat as it seemed and there was no consensuson the candidature of Shahbaz Sharif for the position even within theSharif family, though a few days back the former premier himself announcedthat in case of any adverse decision from the apex court, the junior Sharifwould hold the reins of the party.
The sources further said that those opposing Shahbaz Sharif to step in theshoes of his elder brother argue that — keeping in view the conciliatoryposition taken by the junior Sharif against the superior judiciary and theestablishment — his appointment as the party chieflink> would have adverse effects on the party’snarrative of taking the top judiciary head-on and its trumpet aboutvictimization of the PML-N leadership at the hands of the apex judiciary.
The sources said that these elements, led by Maryam Nawaz, were floatingthe idea to bring Kulsoom Nawaz as the party chieflink>while Nawaz Sharif would himself controlthe party affairs from behind the scenes, which would not be possible incase Shahbaz is made the party head because of his strong politicalbackground and position in the party.