–Shehbaz Sharif remains president, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi appointed as SVP, Ahsan Iqbal selected as secretary general
–Rana Sanaullah to lead party in Punjab, Khawaja Asif appointed as parliamentary party leader
LAHORE: As rumours of a deal between the Sharifs and the powers-that-be are making rounds in the mainstream media, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday announced a revamp in its top leadership paving the way for former prime minister and party supremo Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam to make her formal entry into her father’s political party.
According to the party’s official statement, Maryam Nawaz has been appointed as vice president while former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has been elevated as senior vice president of the PML-N.
The PML-N will have at least 16 vice presidents. The VPs include Abid Sher Ali, Ayaz Sadiq, Chaudhry Barjees Tahir, Dr Darshan Lal Punchi, Hamza Shehbaz, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Khurram Dastagir Khan, Mian Javed Latif, Muhammad Zubair, Mushahid Ullah Khan, Nelson Azeem, Pervaiz Rasheed, Raheela Durrani, Rana Tanveer Hussain and Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan.
Party President Shehbaz Sharif, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Muhammad Zubair, Miftah Ismail, Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Mushahid Hussain Syed, Musaddik Malik, Ali Pervez Malik and Bilal Azhar Kiyani will be members of the PML-N’s Economic Advisory Council.
Former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal will be central secretary general of the party.
Former defence minister Khawaja Asif will be taking up the office of the party’s parliamentary leader in the National Assembly while former information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, who was already heading the party’s media wing, has been appointed as the central information secretary of the PML-N.
Syed Tariq Fatemi, who was removed from the post of the special assistant to the prime minister on foreign affairs, from his post for his alleged role in ‘Dawn leaks’, will be taking charge of the policy and research secretary.
Shaza Fatima Khawaja has been appointed as secretary of the parliamentary affairs, Ayesha Raza Farooq secretary of membership and training while Romina Khursheed Alam will be at the helm of the HR and civil society.
Former Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah has been made the party’s president in Punjab while Awais Leghari will serve as the Punjab general secretary.
Hanif Abbasi will be the senior vice president, Raja Ateeq Sarwar, Hafiz Nouman, Raja Qamarul Islam and Salman Rafique will be vice presidents for Punjab whereas Uzma Bukhari will be the secretary for information Punjab.
Malik Ahmed Khan, a spokesperson for PML-N’s Punjab chapter, has been removed from his position. According to media reports, all the appointments were approved by party’s supreme leader, Nawaz Sharif.