PML-N decides Shehbaz to succeed Nawaz as PM

• Nobody opposes ex-PM’s nominations during two successive meetings
• President Mamnoon likely to summon NA session to elect new PM on Tuesday
• Nawaz says his conscience is clear, as he had done nothing wrong in his life

The Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) on Saturday endorsed the nomination of Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif as the next prime minister of the country and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to serve as the chief executive for an interim period.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif shared his selection of both his successors at two successive meetings of the party leaders. In the morning, Nawaz discussed these nominations with his close aides while later the idea was shared during the parliamentary party.

“It would take around 50 or 55 days for Shehbaz to get to the National Assembly. For this interim period, I would propose Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and if you endorse his nomination, we can move ahead,” Nawaz said while addressing the parliamentary party meeting.

He said that both the nominees had turned emotional when he had shared his idea with them separately. Since nobody opposed the nominations, the endorsement remained smooth and swift.

NA SESSION: President Mamnoon Hussain is yet to summon the National Assembly session for the election of the next prime minister, there is likelihood that the session would be convened on Tuesday. Qadir Bux Tiwana, a public relations officer at the presidency, said that there was no official word on the assembly session.

However, National Assembly’s Media Director Mohsin Iqbal said that though there was no notification yet, the previous schedule suggests that the National Assembly is set to meet on Tuesday. “Though there is no promulgation order from presidency, if we go by the previous schedule, the National Assembly had to convene on Monday (July 31) at 3pm,” he said.

Asked who would announce schedule for the election of the prime minister, Iqbal said that National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq would decide the schedule. “Under the rules, there is no other business taken up on the eve of the election of the leader of the house. Nomination papers have to be filed with the (NA) secretary. The speaker has to scrutinize and announce the final list of the candidates,” he said.

He said that election of the prime minister was conducted through division and supporters of each candidate pass through specific doors for election. Later, the speaker would announce the new leader of the house.

EMOTIONAL SPEECH: In his emotional speech to the party meeting, Nawaz Sharif tried to address domestic and foreign audiences simultaneously. “During my tenure, I tried a policy of peaceful coexistence with our neighbouring countries… History would judge this decision,” he said. He also criticised his ouster, saying that the party lawmakers should take pride in realising the fact that despite long proceedings, there was not a single allegation of corruption against him.

He said that throughout his long political career, not a single penny of corruption or kickbacks could be proved against him. He said that the nation would now know why he had been disqualified. He dropped hints at his plans to continue his career in mainstream politics and welfare of the country fellow.

He also vowed to continue struggling for the supremacy of the constitution and rule of law and also told his party colleagues that he would continue to work for the welfare of the people. He also briefed the party colleagues on the Iqama issue, saying that while in exile, he used to shuttle between Dubai and London as he could not live in London beyond consecutive six months.

“To resolve the visa issue, my son opened a company in UAE and made me chairman of the Board of Directors. Just to meet legal provisions, he also fixed a salary of 10,000 dirhams which I never drew. Now I have been disqualified because I didn’t draw the salary,” he complained, saying that people who mint billions are not disqualified but he was ousted for not taking money.

Nawaz said that his conscience was clear as he had done nothing wrong. He also said that when he came to politics, he was not an ideologist but now successive experiences had made him an ideologue. “Maybe some 20 years ago, I was not so ideological but time and various events have made me an ideologue,” he said.

“My struggles throughout my life has been was to be exiled, to be jailed, to be sentenced for 27 years, to be called a hijacker when I was the sitting prime minister. I have seen all that and suffered all that. There have been prime ministers before me, they’ve been hanged, and you’ve seen that,” he added.

He said that the way forward for him was crystal clear and that was a struggle for supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law. “We have had a bitter past but our future should be free of regrets. We all should sit together and think ways and means to run this country better. I don’t care for myself anymore but I care about my people,” he concluded.

No one else addressed the meeting, other than two briefings on the verdict in the Panama Papers case against the former prime minister, which were delivered by Barrister Zafarullah Khan and Zahid Hamid. Both of them highlighted the loopholes and legal flaws in the verdict.

REVIEW PETITION: The ruling party decided to file to a review petition in the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case. Chairing the meeting, Nawaz Sharif dismissed the propaganda that the Panama case verdict would weaken the ruling party. He said that the nation knows he has not been declared ineligible over corruption.

He said that presence of the PML-N members in large number was a fitting response to the opposition’s propaganda. He said that PML-N was stronger than before. “Your leader is not weak. We have accepted the verdict despite reservations,” he said and dismissed the impression that he was toppled on the charges of corruption.

“Why should I have declared the salary which I had not received,” he argued. He pointed out that he was punished for putting the country on the path of rapid development.