Nawaz may become Quaid of PML-N

ISLAMABAD: Nawaz Sharif will become the Quaid of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) while Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif will become the president of the party next week.

The decision whether Shahbaz Sharif would become the prime minister or continue working as the Punjab chief minister is likely to be taken on Monday or Tuesday during a meeting that would be held in Model Town’s residence of the Sharif family under the chairmanship of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, sources told The News here on Thursday.

A senior member of the PML-N, who requested anonymity, told this correspondent that “PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif has clearly hinted during a meeting in Murree that the decision on the premiership of Shahbaz Sharif will be taken at a meeting that is likely to be held on Monday or Tuesday in Model Town (Lahore).”

It is pertinent to mention here that a high-level meeting of the PML-N was held under the chairmanship of Nawaz Sharif in Murree on Wednesday that was attended by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Senator Ishaq Dar, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Ahsan Iqbal, Pervaiz Rasheed, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Senator Mushahidullah Khan and others.

“Nawaz Sharif, who is currently in Murree, will reach Lahore through the Motorway on August 6 and visit Data Darbar. He is likely to hold a high-level meeting on Monday or Tuesday in which the final decision regarding premiership of Shahbaz Sharif will be taken, keeping in view the upcoming general elections,” he said.

He said Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan showed his willingness to join the federal cabinet when Shahbaz Sharif would become the prime minister, adding “If it is decided next week that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi would continue to work on this slot, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan will be asked to immediately join the federal cabinet as the foreign minister.”

The senior PML-N member, who remained part of the consultation process in the last many days in Murree, stated, “Nawaz Sharif had approved an extension in the federal cabinet in January this year but it did not happen due to some reasons. But the names of five to six new members belonging to south Punjab and the smaller provinces that were approved on that occasion for inclusion in the federal cabinet would now become part of it.”