Shehbaz Sharif to fill ex-PM Nawaz's shoes: sources
Nawaz Sharif presided over a party meeting today
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Sources have reported on Friday that Punjab chief minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif has been nominated by the political party to become the Prime Minister (PM) of Pakistan after Nawaz Sharif was disqualified on Friday.
Former premier Nawaz Sharif presided over a party meeting and once it concluded in the evening, reports started to pour in that the party has struck consensus over Shehbaz Sharif to be the leader of the house.
He would have to step down from that role and be elected to the National Assembly before he was eligible to become prime minister.
That will require a party loyalist to resign from his seat in the national parliament, sparking a hasty vote that Shahbaz would contest on the PML-N ticket.
Shehbaz is considered more intelligent but less charismatic than his older brother.
He has controlled Punjab -- Pakistan’s most populous and prosperous province -- for much of the last decade, presiding over a series of big ticket infrastructure projects, including Pakistan’s first metro bus service.
Reportedly, Ayaz Sadiq, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Khawaja Asif among other party leaders were discussed for the purpose.
If elected, the interim leader would be in power for at least 45 days until Shahbaz steps down as the head of the Punjab government, and contests a by-election to the national assembly.
PML-N party is due to meet on Saturday and will likely appoint a short-term leader to fill the vacuum until Sharif’s younger brother becomes an elected lawmaker.
Nawaz Sharif’s resignation on Friday has plunged the nuclear-armed nation into political turmoil after several years of relative stability. Sharif quit after he was disqualified by the Supreme Court over undeclared assets.
The court has also ordered a criminal investigation into Sharif, 67, and his family.
Sharif has always denied any wrongdoing and his toppling has rekindled concerns about Pakistan’s democracy after a member of his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party hinted that elements of the powerful military were in some way involved.
---- with input from Reuters
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