Pakistan: Has Nawaz Sharif shattered Shehbaz Sharif’s chances to become PM?
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has shattered the dreams of his younger brother Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif of becoming prime minister and of his nephew (Hamza) to take up the reins in Punjab.
A federal minister said that the decision to ‘retain’ Shehbaz in Punjab had been finalised and just a mere ‘official’ announcement is left from the Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) about withdrawing Shehbaz from the National Assembly NA-120 race.
“The extended cabinet of Abbasi is a proof of it,” he said, adding the current arrangement suited the leadership as Nawaz Sharif would see matters in the Centre and Shehbaz Sharif in Punjab.
A number of PML-N leaders in Punjab believe that Shehbaz has missed or made to miss a ‘golden opportunity’ to succeed his elder brother as there is no guarantee he will make it to Islamabad to don the premier’s cap in 2018 in case the PML-N wins the election as more players from the elder Sharif family may be in the race for the top slot, the Dawn reports.
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said, “The decision that Shehbaz Sharif will continue serving in Punjab is almost certain.”
Punjab government spokesman Malik Ahmad Khan said that the parliamentary party …read more
