ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s disqualified Prime
Minister Nawaz S
harif has “smartly deprived” his younger brother Shahbaz S
harif of an opportunity to become premier, PML-N members in Punjab province believe.
Many Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leaders believe the Chief
Minister of Punjab has missed or made to miss a “golden opportunity” to succeed his elder brother, and that Nawaz has shattered the dreams of his nephew Hamza S
harif to take up the reins in the province, According to them, there is no guarantee that Shahbaz S
harif will make it to Islamabad to don the premier’s cap in 2018 (if PML-N wins the e
lection) as more players from S
harif family may be in the race for the top post.
The former Prime
Minister’s wife Kalsoom might contest if his daughter Maryam Nawaz S
harif remain
s entangled in the accountability process till 2018 e
lection, the party leaders said.
“Shahbaz has either failed to convince his elder brother or the latter played smart politic
s to keep him in Punjab,” a PML-N leader close to Shahbaz S
harif told.
“Perhaps Shahbaz missed the golden chance of becoming premier. Who knows about 2018 e
lection’s outcome and family politics then?”
“Nawaz played excellent family politics. First he announced Shahbaz as his successor. Later a campaign within the PML-N was built that Shahbaz’s absence from Punjab would be disastrous for the party,” another leader said.
According to the anonymous party member, Shahbaz S
harif had tried his best to convince his elder brother not to worry about Punjab and leave it to his son Hamza Sharif.
The Chief
Minister also sent a request to Nawaz S
harif from more than 300 PML-N MPs from Punjab, endorsing Shahbaz Sahrif in the centre and Hamza S
harif in Punjab.
“Once the decision was conveyed to Shahbaz, he asked Rana Sanaullah to tell the media that most party members wanted him in Punjab. It was only a face saving for Shahbaz.”
A federal minister told Dawn that the decision to “retain” Shahbaz S
harif had been finalised. “The extended cabinet of Abbasi is a proof of it,” he said, adding the current arrangement suited the leadership as Nawaz S
harif would see matters in the Centre and Shahbaz S
harif in Punjab.
A mere “official” announcement is left from the PML-N about withdrawing Shahbaz S
harif from the e
lection race. After the Supreme Court in the PanamaBSE -0.72 % Papers case verdict disqualified Nawaz S
harif from hoding the Prime
Minister’s post, he had announced that his brother would be the premier after an interim arrangement of 45 days for which Abbasi was selected.
Some federal ministers including Khawaja Asif and Khurram Dastgir had already said they wanted Shahbaz S
harif in Punjab, which is a stronghold of PML-N. “Since Shahbaz has good equation with all MPs in Punjab and development projects are on his finger tips, a larger section of the party is of the view that he should continue delivering in Punjab,” Dastgir said.
Punjab Law
Minister Rana Sanaullah said: “The decision that Shahbaz S
harif will continue serving in Punjab is almost certain.”
Punjab government spokesman Malik Ahmad Khan told Dawn on Friday that parliamentary party headed by Nawaz S
harif was authorised to announce reversal of its earlier decision to nominate Shahbaz S
harif for Prime
Minister’s post.
Khan however denied any differences in the S
harif brothers saying the crisis had even further united them.