Summary ECP directed Nawaz Sharif today to give up party president seat over Political Parties Order 2002
LAHORE (Dunya News) – Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif is to be appointed president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), chairman of PML-N’s central working committee Raja Zafarul Haq reported on Tuesday.
The senior party member laid bare decision of the party leadership in an interview with British Broadcasting Agency (BBC) and asserted that formal announcement is to be made soon.
He said that majority of the party members favour CM Shehbaz to take place of PML-N’s former president after he was issued notice today by the election commission to give up the seat.
He said that Shehbaz Sharif was appointed president of the political organisation earlier when ex-premier Nawaz Sharif was living in exile in Saudi Arabia.
Decision of the organisation to appoint Shehbaz as party chief has come in hours after Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) served a notice to the former premier to relinquish party president’s seat as a disqualified leader could not hold a party office.
The notification was issued in lines with Political Parties Act 2002.
The commission has served the notice a day ahead of former premier Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Lahore along with cavalcade via GT Road in an apparent power show that opposition parties have branded an act to pressurise state institutions.
The ousted Nawaz
Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the election commission on order of the apex court on July 28 under Article 62 and Article 63.
Opposition parties had lodged petitions against the then premier over Panama Leaks demanding trial of the first family for the assets and properties they owned, alleging that the premier and his children resorted to money laundering and graft.
The top court took up the case in October and formal hearings of the petitions began in November.
After around four months, a verdict was reserved by the top court in February and was delivered on April 20 that ordered for formation of a six-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the first family.
Then Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif appeared before the team to answer the questions and so did his children, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz and Maryam Safdar.
After 60 days, the probe committee filed its report in the court and within two weeks, a verdict that was delivered on July 28 ordered the elections authority to disqualify Nawaz Sharif.
