• Party denies impression Shehbaz picked to lead in Centre
• Marriyum says contacts with ‘partners’ continue, matters will be decided with consensus
• List of 10 independent lawmakers issued, including two MNAs-elect, who have joined PML-N after polls

LAHORE: Despite not being able to secure a simple majority in the 266-seat National Assembly, the PML-N claims that its supreme leader Nawaz Sharif is still in the hunt for the coveted slot of prime minister for a record fourth time.

As hectic efforts to hammer out some sort of power-sharing formula in the national and Punjab assemblies continued on Monday, a party insider told Dawn the leadership had been engaged in “extensive deliberations” to decide who would be the prime ministerial candidate and lay the proposal before the PPP for approval.

“As of now, Nawaz Sharif has not been ruled out as a candidate for the PM’s slot. Since the PML-N has to lead the federal coalition, many within the Maryam Nawaz camp feel why shouldn’t [the elder Sharif] take the driving seat,” the insider said.

They added that before the polls, Mr Sharif had wished to become PM for the fourth time, but unexpected results on Feb 8 had given him second thoughts, and his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif’s name popped up as the ‘favourite’ for the coveted slot.

Party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said the PML-N had not yet finalised its candidate for premiership. “Communication with coalition partners is ongoing and it will be decided with their consultation,” she told a private TV channel on Monday.

Referring to a statement by party stalwart Khawaja Asif — who had told Samaa TV that Shehbaz, not elder brother Nawaz, would be the PML-N’s PM candidate — she said it was his personal opinion and did not reflect the party’s stance.

She also denied rumours regarding a supposed power-sharing formula with the PPP, saying an agreement had been made in principle to move forward together.

Majority conundrum

The PML-N had earlier said that had it secured a simple majority in the Centre, Nawaz Sharif would have been prime minister.

“However, after Thursday’s elections, the party managed to get 79 National Assembly seats, lagging behind the 92 PTI-backed independents. Against this backdrop, it had reviewed its earlier stance and announced that it would form a coalition government.”

Sources said there is a faction within the party that thinks that Nawaz Sharif should lead the government himself, and make Shehbaz Sharif chief minister of Punjab, for the sake of better governance, both in the Centre and the largest province.

According to the insider, the party should take a decision shortly on who would be their candidate for PM, provided the PPP did not raise any objections or make “unacceptable demands”.

“During Shehbaz Sharif’s meeting with Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the power-sharing formula was discussed, not names for the PM slot,” the insider said, adding that the Nawaz league appeared to be willing to part with several coveted posts — such as the offices of the president, National Assembly speaker and the Senate chairman — and hand them to the PPP in exchange for the premiership.

“A deadlock may arise between the PML-N and PPP on two possible fronts; firstly, if the PPP wants the PM slot for Bilawal, and secondly, if they disagree on Nawaz’s name for premier,” the source said. In case the elder Sharif is not picked as PM, then his daughter Maryam would become a ‘top contender’ for the Punjab CM office.

Independents flock to Nawaz league

Also on Monday, the PML-N issued a list of independents (two MNAs-elect and eight MPAs-elect), who had joined the party after the Feb 8 polls.

Interestingly, a day earlier, some six independent MNAs-elect, one of them a PTI-backed candidate – had announced their intention to join the PML-N.

On Monday, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb issued a list featuring ten names.

They include (PTI-backed) Waseem Qadir from Lahore’s NA-121 and Sardar Shamshar Mazari from Rajanpur’s NA-189.

Independent MPAs who have joined the PML-N so far are, PP-48’s Khurrum Virk and PP-49’s Muhammad Faiz from Sialkot, and PP-96’s Zulfiqar Ali Shah and PP-97’s Saqib Chadhar of Chiniot, PP-195’s Imran Akram from Pakpattan, PP-240’s Sohail Khan from Bahawalnagar, PP-249’s Sahibzada Ghazian Abbasi from Bahawalpur and PP-297’s Khizar Hussain Mazari from Rajanpur.

According to unofficial election results, the PML-N has 79 seats in the national and 137 in the Punjab assemblies, respectively.

However, the party has not issued its count of the total number of PMLN MNAs- and MPAs-elect in Punjab. Ms Aurangzeb also did not respond to repeated queries by Dawn on discrepancies between the list issued on Monday, and the videos and pictures posted on Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s official X account a day earlier.

Sources say that the PML-N aims to gather enough independents so that it does not need to depend on the PPP to form a ruling coalition in Punjab.

Former interior minister Rana Sanaullah on Monday claimed in a tweet that the party had hit the ‘150’ mark in the Punjab Assembly, but it is unclear on what basis he had made the claim.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2024