The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Saturday named Nawaz Sharif as its candidate for the position of the next prime minister of Pakistan.
The move comes as the country gears up for general elections later in the year.
During a press briefing at the Prime Minister’s House on Saturday, outgoing prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is also president of the PML-N, stated that amendments to the Election Act have cleared Nawaz Sharif of disqualification and removed any obstacles in the way of his return.
“In my capacity as the party president, I have nominated Nawaz Sharif as the candidate for prime minister from the PML-N,” Shehbaz said.
He emphasised that the final decision on the date of general elections rests with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), adding that his party wanted to hold the polls as soon as possible.
On the occasion, PML-N leader Ishaq Dar stated that Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification period ended on July 26.
In an interview earlier this week, the former premier had stated Nawaz Sharif is set to return to Pakistan in September and will face his pending court cases.
In an interview with a private television channel, he said that after the caretaker government was formed, he would go to London to discuss “plan” for his return with his brother.
The premier said that Nawaz would lead the election campaign of his party and would be the next prime minister for the fourth time if PML-N won the next election.
Nawaz, who was convicted by an accountability court before the 2018 general elections in graft cases, went to London to receive medical treatment in 2019, and has been staying there since then.
Last month, Nawaz reached Dubai and met Pakistani politicians. His arrival in the Gulf emirate generated a debate in the media about his return to Pakistan.
The PML-N supremo is convicted in the Al-Azizia and the Aveinfeild Apartment references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the aftermath of the Panama Papers case. His appeals are pending in the relevant courts.
