Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has been appointed interim president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), stated that his elder brother and former three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif was unjustly removed from the party’s presidency through a conspiracy.
On May 13, Prime Minister Shehbaz had stepped down as the president of the PML-N, paving the way for party supremo and three times former premier Nawaz Sharif to be elected as the party head.
Shehbaz was formally elected PML-N president in March 2018, months after the disqualification of his elder brother Nawaz Sharif by the Supreme Court. After the disqualification from holding any public office, Nawaz was also disqualified from holding any office in the political party.
A meeting of the PML-N Central Working Committee was held at the Party Secretariat in Lahore’s Model Town on Saturday. Attendees included Prime Minister Shehbaz, party leader Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, and leaders Rana Sanaullah, Ahsan Iqbal, Ishaq Dar, among others.
During the meeting, PM Shehbaz was nominated as the acting president of the ruling party, a role he will hold until May 28.
PML-N leader Saiful Mulook Khokhar announced that Nawaz Sharif will be re-elected as party president at the general council meeting on May 28. Rana Sanaullah Khan has been nominated as the chief election commissioner for the party president election.
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Khawaja Saad Rafiq expressed that Shehbaz Sharif’s resignation as party president was accepted with a heavy heart and his contributions were acknowledged during the meeting.
Musadiq Malik stated that Allah has vindicated Nawaz Sharif, who is set to return to the party’s presidency. He confirmed that PM Shehbaz has been appointed interim president, with re-election to be conducted by the general council, reinstating Nawaz Sharif as president.
Party sources revealed that the election commission members for the party president election will also be nominated during the meeting. The decisions made will be endorsed by the central executive committee, with final approval to be granted at the general council meeting on May 28.
Prime Minister Shehbaz, addressing the meeting, expressed his honour in returning the PML-N presidency to Nawaz Sharif, stating that Nawaz was wrongfully removed through a conspiracy.
“Today is a day of satisfaction for me. I was given the party chairmanship temporarily under compulsion. I cannot forget the scene of handcuffing Nawaz Sharif in 1999. Nawaz Sharif was subjected to atrocities. He introduced significant services in politics,” said the prime minister.
