ISLAMABAD: Senator Irfan Siddiqui Friday said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif or “an unseen power” did not create a hurdle in Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif’s path to become the prime minister for a fourth time.
It was a baseless impression that Nawaz’s path to the PM’s office was blocked by the party president or an “unseen power”, the senior PML-N leader said talking with Geo News programme ‘Geo Pakistan’
Siddiqui said during his meetings with Nawaz before the February 8 general elections, he had the impression that Nawaz did not want to become the PM again.
The senator said it was speculated in the media that Nawaz was dying to become the premier again.
“I was present in the meeting where Nawaz Sharif announced to give the premiership to Shehbaz Sharif. Even if Nawaz had even 1% desire to become PM is there any power that could stop him from becoming the PM?” he asked.
PML-N President Shehbaz became the country's prime minister for the second time following the party's nomination after Nawaz decided against running for the coveted post after returning to the country following a four-year self-imposed exile from London.
The party, which had longed for the veteran politician's return, had formulated its election campaign around the politico pitching him as a saviour who could address the country's prevailing crises and lead it towards prosperity.
However, following the February 8 polls, which saw major political parties including the PML-N, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed independent candidates and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) failing to secure a simple majority in the National Assembly, the PML-N nominated Shehbaz as its prime ministerial candidate.
The move, it seemed, reflected Nawaz's reluctance to lead a weak coalition government which can at least be termed as a rather uphill task in light of the prevailing economic crises that have gripped the country for some time.
The development had received mixed reactions from various circles with some claiming that the veteran politician's career was "over".
To a query, Senator Siddiqui said he was not denying that PML-N stalwart Rana Sanaullah must have assumed that if there was a two-thirds majority then Nawaz would become the prime minister.
“If Nawaz Sharif is not on the prime minister's chair, is it not the PML-N or Nawaz Sharif's government? It is PML-N and Nawaz Sharif’s government (in the power),” he said adding that there was no conspiracy against Nawaz in the party.
He said it would have been a conspiracy if Nawaz had been yearning to come into power and could not have succeeded.
On April 18, Siddiqui had revealed that Nawaz still gave his input on various matters including but not limited to the federal cabinet, economic recovery and others.
Speaking to Geo News, the senator had revealed that there was a section within the PML-N that believed that the party needed a full-time president and therefore, he had added, there a possibility was there that Nawaz would once again secure the party's top post.
There was an opinion in the party that political posts should be separated from government ones. Whoever had a ministry was paying attention to it, and the party was being ignored, he had said.
Highlighting that Shehbaz did not have enough time to run the party as he was occupied with fulfilling his responsibilities as the PM for the country's economic recovery, Siddiqui had said that the decision with regards to the party's presidency would be made in a few months.
Lamenting the dire economic circumstances when the PML-N-led Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government came into power, the politician had lauded Shehbaz for saving the country from defaulting amid grim economic indicators.