PML-N appoints Sardar Yaqoob Nasar as interim chairman

ISLAMABAD - Senator Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Nasar has been appointed interim chairman of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League.

The announcement follows a meeting of the party's central working committee in Islamabad on Thursday.

Nasar’s name was was proposed by Raja Zafar-ul-Haq and approved by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The party will decide the name for permanent party chief on September 7.

The position fell vacant after disqualification of Nawaz Sharif by the Supreme Court and the resultant direction of the Election Commission to PML (N) to elect a new head of the party.

On August 8, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had issued a notice to the PML-N for the appointment of a new party leader citing Nawaz Sharif's de-seating and disqualification by the Supreme Court in the Panamagate case.

The ECP in the notice had said that under the Political Parties Order of 2002, a disqualified lawmaker cannot hold any office in a political party.

The notification had also referred to the SC order on the Panamagate case, in which Nawaz Sharif was formally asked to step down as prime minister.

The ECP had additionally observed that Article 15 of the PML-N's own party constitution says that if the seat of party president is vacant, it has to be filled within one week's time

The election body had asked the PML-N to elect a new party leader and then inform the ECP.