Shehbaz to succeed Nawaz as PM, Khaqan nominated as interim PM
It was confirmed that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will remain interim prime minister for 45 days
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leaders have agreed to nominate former Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as interim prime minister of the country after Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification by Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case.
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Interim prime minister
The decision was taken in a meeting of PML-N parliamentary leaders at Punjab House in Islamabad today (Saturday), the parliamentary party meeting and Nawaz Sharif himself confirmed. Abbasi will serve as an interim PM for the next 45 days. Later on, the existing Punjab Chief Minister will take over and continue as the PM till the interim government for 2018 elections is formed. He will take outh as premier after taking majority votes from PML-N lawmakers as well as coalition members.
Young Sharif as PM after 45 days
The participants have also approvedShehbaz Sharif’s name to permanently take over as the premier, which had already been foreseen yesterday. The young Sharif is currently chief minister of powerful Punjab province -- the Sharif family stronghold. Shehbaz Sharif 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. PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique called him an exemplary chief minister and praised his services for the development of Punjab.
According to details, existing Punjab CM will resign from his provincial assembly seat and contest in by elections for NA-120, from which Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the apex court. He will become PM after the success in polls and receiving votes in NA after Abbasi s resignation.
PML-N trusts Abbasi
It should be recalled that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Chairman when Pervez Musharraf ousted Nawaz Sharif in 1999. He was also arrested in plane hijack case. It is often said that Abbasi was pressurised to become an approver against the derailed Sharif government.
He had refused to approve against Nawaz Sharif in the corruption cases which escalated the confidence of senior leadership in him. After PML-N victory in 2013 general elections, he was made a part of federal cabinet by alloting him the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources. He conducted various projects for the discovery of fossils in Sindh and elsewhere.
