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Shahbaz Sharif tipped to be next PM of Pakistan

Shahbaz Sharif (left) and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

Islamabad: The Pakistan Muslim League-N had decided that Shahbaz Sharif, ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s brother, will be the country’s new PM.

PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has been tapped as the interim Prime Minister till Sharif is elected by the parliament.

Shahbaz’s ascension to the Prime Minister’s office was considered to be a foregone conclusion, as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) continues to hold a hefty majority in Parliament and can independently vote him into office.

Sharif, who is also the Chief Minister of Punjab will have to forgo his seat and a new CM will be chosen.

Sources claim that Punjab Excise and Taxation Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman was likely to replace Shahbaz as the Chief Minister, the Dawn reported.

Both the names that of Sharif and Abbasi were finalized in two separate meetings. The meetings were attended by close aides of Nawaz Sharif, including Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Ahsan Iqbal, Ayaz Sadiq, Saad Rafique, Rana Tanveer, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Shahbaz Sharif along with other members of the PML-N’s leadership.

A five judge bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday unanimously disqualified the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from holding his office in the Panama Papers case. Sharif resigned from his post after the apex court’s disqualification.

 

 

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