LAHORE – The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Central Working Committee (CWC) accepted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s resignation from the party’s presidency on Saturday and nominated him as acting president until the party’s intra-party elections on May 28.
Earlier this week, PM Shehbaz stepped down from the PML-N presidency, declaring that “the time has come” for his brother, Nawaz Sharif, to retake his “rightful place as the president of the party.” Nawaz was removed from the party’s leadership in 2018 following a Supreme Court ruling led by then-Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, which stipulated that individuals disqualified under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution cannot serve as the head of a political party.
The decision to appoint Shehbaz as acting president was confirmed during a meeting in Model Town, Lahore, attended by key PML-N leaders including Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Saad Rafique, and over 109 CWC members from across the country, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The meeting, presided over by PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal, lasted over an hour and a half. In it, the acceptance of Shehbaz’s resignation was officially announced, and party members praised his leadership over the past seven years. Following this, Shehbaz’s nomination as acting president was proposed and supported by the party leadership, including Nawaz Sharif himself.
Rana Sanaullah has been appointed as the party’s chief election commissioner to oversee the upcoming elections. The PML-N’s General Council is scheduled to convene at 11 a.m. on May 28, coinciding with “Youm-e-Takbeer,” when Nawaz Sharif is expected to be reinstated as the party president.
In addition to these decisions, party sources noted that last month, Rana Sanaullah requested Nawaz Sharif to resume the presidency after legal hurdles were cleared. The acceptance of Shehbaz’s resignation and his nomination as acting president underline the party’s commitment to adhering to its internal democratic processes while maintaining unity and stability.
Nawaz Sharif, who stepped down as Pakistan’s prime minister in 2017 following his disqualification by the Supreme Court, returned to Pakistan from London last October after four years of self-imposed exile. His expected return to the PML-N presidency marks a significant moment for the party as it prepares for future political challenges.
The PML-N’s preparations for the general council meeting and the formal election of Nawaz Sharif as president underscore the party’s strategic planning and dedication to its leadership’s vision.
