Daily Times

Announcing the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) intra-party elections, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Public and Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has said that party supremo Nawaz Sharif will be seen proactively “playing his role in national politics soon”.

Sanaullah, addressing a press conference in Lahore on Monday, announced that the ruling party commenced the process of the intra-party elections by the PML-N’s constitution and an election commission was also established by a central working committee.

The former federal minister said that nomination papers were issued from 9am to 5pm today which would also be continued before 12pm by tomorrow (Tuesday). “Scrutiny of the nomination papers will be performed at 1pm, whereas, candidates could withdraw their nominations by 2:30pm, tomorrow.”

He added: “Overall, 11 nominations have been issued so far. At 3pm today, final lists of the candidates will be issued and a general council’s session will be held afterwards.”

He added that the party would organise the polls for electing its president at 4pm today.

Sanaullah went on to say that Bashir Memon, Irfan-ul-Haque Siddiqui, Ishaq Dar, Raja Muhammad Farooq, Hafiz Hafeez-ur-Rehman and Shah Ghulam Qadir have received their nomination papers today.

He said that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi – a disgruntled PML-N leader who had applied to register a new political party last month – could also submit his nominations, however, the scrutiny committee will decide on his “eligibility” to contest the party’s intra-party polls.

Regarding Nawaz, the PML-N senior leader said that the entire party agreed on the former premier’s name for the party’s presidency. “However, the party would welcome if someone else wants to submit nominations for taking part in the upcoming polls.”

Sanaullah further said that Nawaz transformed the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz into a popular public party after Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah that ruled the country four times.

“In case no candidates, the party’s president would be elected unopposed, otherwise, polling will be held via a show of hands,” he added.

The politico said that Nawaz was not angry with someone and was fully active in national politics. He added that all decisions of the federal and the Punjab governments would be taken after Nawaz’s approval.

He further said that lesser statements from the PML-N supremo would be ended, soon.

The premier’s aide added that the ruling PML-N was considering recommendations to reshuffle the party positions.

He said that Shehbaz Sharif would be the next leader after Nawaz on which the entire party was agreed upon for the presidency. He praised Shehbaz, the incumbent prime minister, for making maximum efforts to pull the country out of the economic crisis.

To a question regarding the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Sanaullah replied that he would continue to warn the nation against the former ruling party’s founder Imran Khan.