Shahbaz Sharif elected interim chief of PML-N

Islamabad: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) on Tuesday elected Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif as the acting President, replacing older brother Nawaz Sharif who was disqualified by the Supreme Court.

The Central Working Committee of the PML-N met in Lahore to elect Shehbaz Sharif as party’s acting president.

The key meeting was attended by former party president Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Maryam Nawaz, Hamza Shahbaz and other senior members of the party. Nawaz Sharif had picked Shehbaz Sharif as acting president of the party last day.

Shahbaz Sharif’s selection as permanent president of the PML-N will be made during the General Council meeting on March 6.

In a message posted on Twitter, Maryam Nawaz said the PML-N had elected Nawaz Sharif as its ‘Quaid (leader)’ for life.

The important decisions were taken a week after the Supreme Court ordered that ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif be removed as head of the political party he founded, six months after the court disqualified him as the country’s leader over unreported income.

Mr Sharif is also being tried by a separate anti-corruption court on other charges — proceedings ordered by the Supreme Court last July — and could face jail when that trial winds up as soon as next month.

The February 21 order overturned a legal amendment by PML-N lawmakers allowing Nawaz Sharif to remain party president despite being disqualified from public office by the Supreme Court for failing to declare monthly income of 10,000 Emirati dirham ($ 2,723) from a company owned by his son.

Mr Sharif denies any wrongdoing and has said his family fortune was obtained legally.