LAHORE: Former ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday picked Shehbaz Sharif for Prime Minister slot and Maryam Nawaz for the Chief Minister candidate.
Party supremo Nawaz Sharif, 73, gave approval for names of Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz after a party meeting. Shehbaz, the former CM of country’s most populated region Punjab, requested his brother Nawaz Sharif to accept the office of the prime minister. He also mentioned that PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz will be the Punjab chief minister candidate.
As deal-making ahead, Shehbaz Sharif thanked Asif Ali Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto for announcing support.
Sharif held telephonic conversation with Zardari and Bhutto-Zardari on behalf of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif to express gratitude for their support to PML-N.
Earlier in the day, the Pakistan Peoples’ Party decided to support the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s candidate for the Prime Minister slot.
Talking to the newsmen after convening Central Executive Committee meeting on Tuesday evening, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari made it clear that he would not be a candidate for the coveted PM office as his party has not received the mandate.
He said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has already decided not to talk to the PPP. In this scenario, only PML-N was the only party to form the government in centre.
Bilawal said that the PPP would not take ministries but vote for the PM and support the new government on an issue to issue basis. He said that the decision has been taken to avoid chaos as fresh polls would be needed if PPP stayed neutral. PPP leader stressed the need of working for bringing political stability as continued political unrest would be harmful to the country and the masses. He said that Asif Ali Zardari would be the PPP candidate for the President office.
