Ansar Abbasi of Jang, The News got it right

KARACHI: The News Editor Investigations, Ansar Abbasi, had predicted in his column titled ‘Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’, published in Daily Jang on October 23, 2023, that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Shehbaz Sharif could become prime minister after general elections.

He had written that politicians and media knew that the way for the victory of the PML-N in the next general elections was being paved. “Nothing can be said with certainty as yet as to who will become the prime minister after the elections. However, Nawaz League members are raising this slogan and making this narrative that Nawaz Sharif will become the PM for the fourth time,” said the column.

“Nonetheless, if the elections’ outcome will be what many can foresee now, then in my opinion, Shehbaz Sharif can become prime minister, and Nawaz Sharif can announce this decision,” the senior journalist had said.

In his report titled ‘PTI’s establishment’ vs the ‘ambitious lot’, published in The News on January 13, 2024, Ansar Abbasi had written that ticket allocations for the upcoming general elections had caused an uproar within the PTI, particularly in KP where a group of influential party leaders, some of whom were vying for the position of chief minister, had been denied provincial seats and allocated National Assembly tickets.

“According to PTI sources, all the influential contenders for the slot of KP CMship have been allocated National Assembly tickets to pave the way for Ali Amin Gandapur as possible chief minister of KP if the party wins the Feb 8 elections,” he had written.