Since the disqualification of Mr. Nawaz Sharif the leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have not arrived to a decision that who would take place of the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as the party chief.

On Tuesday a meeting was held at the residence of Mr. Sharif on Raiwind, Chaired by Mr. Nawaz Sharif himself. The leaders decided to continue the party’s mass contact drive.

The people who attended the meeting include National assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Punjab Governor Rafiq Rajwana, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, MNA Hamza Shahbaz, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Anushe Rehman, former law minister Zahid Hamid and ex-IG Rana Maqbool.

Mr Rafiq said that, “We did discuss about all options available for us  for a new party chief but we could not arrive at a decision yet, where as we have decided to hold several meetings for a couple of more days keeping in view various legal and political sensitivities involved with the issue.”

According to some sources the party officials are planning to bring up a new face rather than Shahbaz Sharif so that he can focus upon Punjab’s mega development projects and continue on his post as the CM of Punjab.

On this last Tuesday, The party chairman Mr. Raja Zafarul Haq stated that Shahbaz Sharif has been elected as the new PML-N president and a formal announcement would be made within 2 days.

At first it was planned to make CM Shahbaz Sharif the PM of Pakistan, where as Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had been elected as the Prime Minister of Pakistan as some party leaders believed that it was inappropriate to change the current political setting.

One of the party officials also claimed that the former first lady Begum Kulsoom Nawaz could be the next party president and the reason behind her nomination being pending was due to the clearance of her candidature for NA-120 by polls with the Election Commission. Her rival candidates have raised objection to her nomination papers due to which she has to appear in front of the returning officer on Wednesday (today).

The party has to meet the terms with the ECP’s notice and elect a new president by Aug 25, the last date for withdrawal of nominations in the NA-120 by-polls, in which Begum Kulsoom is a party nominee.

On Aug 7, the ECP asked PML-N to elect a new party chief as election laws do not permit a person to serve as a president of a political body who does not qualify to become a member of the parliament.

The PML-N’s constitution, moreover, need to nominate an acting president within seven days and to fill the vacancy with a permanent office-bearer within 45 days.

Mr Rafiq stated that the party had decided to carry on with its mass-contact drive and was settle its modalities. “The party would continue and pace up the mass-contact drive, its various aspects are being assessed, and an agenda of the rallies and public meetings will be passed soon.”

He also said that, Party leaders from Faisalabad insisted Mr. Sharif to come to their city before moving to Lahore, they claimed that the response from party activists over there would be more impressive than that which he witnessed in Lahore when he arrived first time to Lahore after the disqualification from the seat of the serving PM.