ISLAMABAD – Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif is Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders’ favourite to become the next prime minister in the event that premier Nawaz Sharif is disqualified by the Supreme Court in Panama Papers case, Geo news reported.
This emerged during a high-level huddle of the party leaders on Friday in Islamabad after the implementing bench announced to reserve the verdict following the completion of arguments by the parties in the case, the media outlet reported while quoting sources.
The party leaders decided with a consensus that Defence Minister Khawaja Asif would be installed as interim prime minister for 45 days, following which Shehbaz would be elected for National Assembly seat through by-polls.
The meeting, which was headed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, decided to avoid the policy of agitation if an unfavourable verdict is announced.
The premier also expressed full confidence in the court and resolved to accept any verdict to be announced by the court.
It was also decided in the moot that all legal and constitutional options will be availed if the decision is announced against the prime minister.
On the other hand, Khawaja Asif has rubbished all such news, adding that the entire party was standing behind Nawaz Sharif. There is no candidate for prime ministership, he added.
