On Saturday, the ousted premier named his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif as his successor and nominated ex-oil minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as an interim premier.
“I support Shahbaz Sharif after me but it will take some time to contest elections, so for the time being, I nominate Shahid Khaqan Abbasi,” Sharif said in a televised speech to his party.
“The nomination of Shehbaz Sharif as the next prime minister won’t bring political stability, it will strengthen the culture of dynastic politics,” a renowned political analyst said. How can they not find one single individual in the whole party for the post of prime minister,” he said.
Earlier Saturday the Election Commission of Pakistan confirmed fresh elections would be held in Nawaz Sharif’s former constituency, in the family’s power base of Punjab province, in a process which could take up to 45 days.