Daily Times

Divisions within PML-N came to surface one again as two top leaders gave contradictory statements on party’s future candidate for the prime minister’s slot.

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi claimed that PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz is not a candidate for the slot of prime minister from the PML-N. He said she is not eligible to contest the election owing to corruption cases against her. He asserted that the PML-N’s candidate for the prime minister’s slot will be party president Shehbaz Sharif.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi made the statements due to PML-N’s general practice of choosing the party president as a candidate for the prime minister’s position. “It has been a general practice that whoever is the party president becomes the prime minister. Shehbaz Sharif is the party president and he will be our candidate,” he said.

However, former Sindh governor and senior PML-N leader Muhammad Zubair contradicted Shahid Khan Abbasi’s assertion. He said that the corruption cases against Maryam Nawaz are weak. He also noted that Shehbaz Sharif will lead the party campaign as president.

Commenting on the situation, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that there are internal divisions in PML-N. “Statements of Shahid Khaqan and Mohammad Zubair have further exposed the divisions within the PML-N,” the minister tweeted. “The families brought destruction to the country, now they are facing karma. There will be new leadership in N-league which is good. PPP should also move past Zardari,” he added.

Elections of local governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this month and in Punjab in the next few months are a manifestation of the confidence of the PTI government, he remarked, adding that the PPP and PML-N could not field enough candidates in KP and the same situation would emerge in Punjab as well. He opined that only one or two television channels are trying to keep their practically dead politics alive.