Punjab caretaker CM: PML-N adds names of Zakaullah, Aftab Sultan to list

LAHORE: The PML-N added two fresh names to its proposed list for the Punjab caretaker chief minister after a consultative meeting of the party big wigs at its Model Town secretariat.

The PML-N had already put forth the names of Justice (retd) Sair Ali and former IG Tariq Saleem Dogar for the post.

The new nominees are former naval chief Admiral (retd) Muhammad Zakaullah and former Intelligence Bureau (IB) head Aftab Sultan.

Born in 1954, Aftab Sultan belongs to Faisalabad, who did BA/LLB and joined the Police Service of Pakistan as ASP in 1977. He was promoted to the rank of SP in 1983 and then as DIG in 2000. He was appointed as the IGP Punjab in March 2013. Soon after his appointment as the IGP, he was appointed as the Director General of the IB.

Former Chief Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah too has a very impressive profile, as the 15th Chief of Naval Staff and hails from Faisalabad. He is attributed with revolutionising the role of the navy with an emphasis on CPEC and took initiatives to strengthen ties with the Turkish Navy.

He also played an active role in establishing the very low frequency facility to provide communications with the submarines as well as ensuring the second-strike capability by commissioning the cruise missile system in the strategic command of the navy.

The meeting was chaired by PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif and attended by its president Shahbaz Sharif, Rana Sanaullah, Saad Rafique and Marriyum Aurangzeb.

Nawaz said the names proposed by the party were highly-esteemed individuals and not only unbiased by every standard but also capable to shoulder the responsibility.

Shahbaz did not rule out the possibility of a consensus candidate despite the mess created over the issue and said the names would be shared with the PTI, adding that a meeting was to be scheduled to discuss the final decision in the days to follow.