ISLAMABAD - A consultative meeting of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) discussed the scenario following the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif as prime minister. Besides devising legal course, the senior party leaders discussed possible options for bringing in new Leader of the House in the National Assembly.

Nawaz Sharif floated the name of his brother, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to step in his shoes - which was overwhelmingly supported by all participants.

Now, the approval of his name for the slot of prime minister would be taken from the parliamentary party meeting, already summoned for Saturday (today) afternoon.

Sources in the party informed The Nation the name of Shehbaz would be approved by the parliamentary party as it had already mandated Nawaz a week ago to decide his predecessor in PM House in case of his disqualification.

But Shehbaz Sharif is not a member of National Assembly and hence can’t be prime minister unless elected to the lower house of Parliament. So, a temporary prime minister, for a period of 45 days, would be required.

The name for the stopgap premier will also be finalised today. A few names for this job that came under discussion in yesterday’s meeting included Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Khurram Dastagir, Ahsan Iqbal and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.

Nawaz Sharif after losing premiership and assembly membership has also been hit by the Political Parties Order which bars disqualified persons from holding party positions. So, he cannot continue as PML-N president now. Hence, a new party president is also necessitated.

In a related development, Nawaz Sharif along with his family vacated the PM House and shifted to the Punjab House on Friday evening, hours after his disqualification by the larger bench of the Supreme Court with voice vote.

Sources in the party informed The Nation that senior party leaders and cabinet members started gathering at the Prime Minister’s House in the morning to show solidarity with Nawaz Sharif.

Former federal minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan, who was at odds with Nawaz and had addressed a press conference on Thursday pointing out flaws in the policies of the government, also came there and he received a warm welcome.

But he was a bit off colour, perhaps due to the hard hitting press conference he had addressed Thursday evening.

The meeting wore a serious look following the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif by the apex court.

A few more cabinet members and heads of coalition partners Fazlur Rehman and Mahmood Achakzai also visited the PM House to express solidarity with Nawaz Sharif.

The meeting started under the chair of Nawaz Sharif as prime minister and attended by a number of sitting federal ministers, besides others, culminated when they had ceased to hold their positions as a result of the court verdict.

Sources in the party said that the party leaders were disgusted over the verdict and some of them even spoke against those behind disqualification of their party leader.

But Nawaz Sharif stopped all of them from speaking to the media and later in the afternoon, assigned a few senior party leaders to explain the party position in a press conference.

Later, after detailed discussion on the matter and the briefing from the party’s legal team it was decided that the party would accept the decision under protest and would weigh legal and constitutional options to take the matter forward.

Sources said that the legal team briefed the former PM Nawaz Sharif and other participants on the limited scope of the review the party could file in the case and it was decided that all legal and constitutional options would be fully exploited.

Sources informed that the JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman and Pakhtunkhawa Milli Awami Party President Mehmood Achakzai appreciated the former premier’s decision to accept the Supreme Court’s verdict. They expressed unflinching support to Nawaz and the candidate he would bring in as new chief executive.

Former premier Sharif expressed his desire to bring in Shehbaz as the party’s candidate for the prime minister’s slot, which was supported by all those present in the meeting.

The issue of his replacement in Punjab also figured in the meeting as Shehbaz Sharif was performing extraordinarily in the province and his absence from the province and its negative impact on the party was discussed.

Party sources said that Nawaz Sharif would extend his stay in Punjab House for next couple of days as some of the party leaders were of the view that he should return to his hometown by GT Road and should address public gatherings on the route.

Senator Chaudhry Tanvir Khan, Khawaja Asif and a few others were among those who floated this idea.

Sources said that almost all the cabinet members who lost their positions would be re-inducted in the next cabinet with the same portfolios.

However, Ch Nisar Ali Khan could not be a part of the cabinet immediately but he may join the cabinet after Shehbaz Sharif’s takes oath as new chief executive of the country.

Sources said that the decision to bring in Shehbaz as the next PM was made as, being a senior and seasoned politician, he commanded respect of senior party leaders.

 

 

Shehbaz to be next PM