LAHORE: After receiving clean chits from courts, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is all set to elect three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as the ruling party’s president, again.
During an interaction with journalists in Lahore following a meeting of the party’s leadership, PML-N Punjab chapter President Rana Sanaullah on Friday announced that Nawaz would retake the ruling party’s driving seat.
“Nawaz Sharif will lead the party again. The PML-N will move forward under his leadership,” the former security czar said:
The PML-N supreme got “clean chit” from the courts, Sanaullah added.
Nawaz stepped down as the country's prime minister in 2017 after he was disqualified for life from holding public office by the Supreme Court for not declaring a receivable salary.
Following his in the Panama Papers case, the Supreme Court, in February 2018, disqualified Nawaz as PML-N president.
In its verdict, the top court had said that a person disqualified under Articles 62 and 63 cannot serve as the head of a political party. The veteran politician, however, arrived back home from four years of self-imposed exile in London in October last year.
On January 8, 2024, the top court scrapped lifetime bans on contesting elections for people with criminal convictions, paving the way for Nawaz to take a fourth shot at power.
Talking to journalists, the PML-N former interior minister said: “We would overcome our shortcoming [under the leadership of Nawaz]”.
The PML-N would tow the narrative of Nawaz, whether it is of “resistance or reconciliation”, he added.
Responding to a question, Sanaullah said that they had created the post of “Quaid” but the operational post in the party is that of the president.
Following his disqualification, the PML-N bigwigs had chosen Nawaz Sharif as "Quaid” for life in 2018.
Giving details about today’s meeting, he said that the PML-N leaders president effective proposals in connection with the country’s current political situation.
“Nawaz Sharif has been requested to retake the party’s leadership,” he added.
The PML-N supremo was working hard to steer the country out of the economic crisis, he added.
Lauding the PML-N-led Punjab government’s performance, he said that Maryam Nawaz was also trying her best to provide relief to the masses.
The party’s leadership expressed their satisfaction over the performance of PM Shehbaz and Punjab CM Maryam, he added.