Nawaz Sharif to ‘retake PML-N reins as president’

LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is all set to elect former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as the ruling party’s president, again.

During an interaction with journalists, here on Friday, following a meeting of party’s leadership, PML-N Punjab chapter President Rana Sanaullah announced 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, adding the party supremo has got “clean chit” from the courts, Geo News reported.

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. The Supreme Court, in February 2018, disqualified Nawaz as PML-N president.

In its verdict, the top court had said a person disqualified under Articles 62 and 63 cannot serve as the head of a political party. The veteran politician, however, returned 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 in letter and spirit, he added.

Responding to a question, Sanaullah said they had 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 Maryam Nawaz is 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.