Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The cat is out of the bag. Maulana Fazlur Rehman has recently advised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to become the president of the country following the footsteps of Asif Ali Zardari.

Sources said the amir of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) suggested the prime minister to consider this option in order to avoid criminal proceedings against him vis-a-vis Panama leaks.

The JUI-F leader reminded the prime minister of former president Asif Ali Zardari, who virtually ran the government from the presidency. His handpicked prime ministers, Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf, were merely there to obey his orders.

The prime minister derives strength from his political party. Currently, no one can dare challenge the prime minister within the ranks of the PML-N.

Sources said senior federal ministers and advisers laughed at the proposal and advised the prime minister not to pay any heed to it. The prime minister, while accepting the arguments against becoming the president, stated he would still like to see the results of street agitation by the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT).

Both plan to show their street power this weekend.

Sources said the prime minister has authorised Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to handle the protest and deal with the agitators ‘strictly according to the law.’

The prime minister has also convened an important meeting of the PML-N parliamentary party tomorrow (Thursday) to get input from the treasury members in Senate and National Assembly.

The last meeting of the PML-N parliamentary party was held some two years ago. A number of back-benchers have repeatedly criticised the prime minister and his team for ignoring them in the decision-making process. They have strong reservations against some key ministers as well, who have made themselves inaccessible to the legislators.

Sources said the prime minister is keen to know if the upcoming street agitation by PTI and PAT had backing of the establishment. He is yet to get a definite answer.

Sources said the prime minister is expected to make several changes in the federal cabinet after meeting with the MPs on Thursday.