LAHORE: In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision striking down a controversial amendment to the Elections Act 2017 that allowed ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif to resume party leadership after being disqualified in the Panama Papers case, the Central Working Committee of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday elected Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif its interim president and the former its Quaid (supreme leader) for life.

While the Sharifs had made almost a similar arrangement by making Javed Hashmi the party president and Nawaz Sharif, who was then in exile, the Quaid during the military rule of Gen Pervez Musharraf, questions are being raised whether or not the fresh move allowing the elder Sharif to become the party’s supreme leader this time was in violation of the SC verdict.

To elect both brothers to their new offices, CWC members including Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Senator Pervaiz Rashid attended the meeting at the Sharif family’s Model Town residence, where maverick Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was conspicuous by his absence.

Shahbaz party’s interim president; Nisar not invited to CWC meeting

There were conflicting reports about reasons for ‘not inviting Chaudhry Nisar to’ and ‘his own decision to miss’ the historic PML-N meeting though the former interior minister later told the media that he would hold a press conference on the matter within a couple of days.

Chaudhry Nisar, who has been advising Nawaz Sharif to ‘avoid confrontation with institutions’, was not invited to the meeting as the disqualified prime minister was not happy with him for not supporting his narrative about the ballot and the judiciary, according to some media reports. Maryam Nawaz, however, dismissed such reports saying: “The statement on media being attributed to Nawaz Sharif about Chaudhry Nisar sahib is absolutely false.” PML-N information secretary Senator Mushahidullah Khan in reply to a question said only the former interior minister could tell about his ‘absence’.

At the CWC meeting, Nawaz Sharif proposed the name of his younger brother for the slot of the party’s interim president that was immediately endorsed by all participants unanimously. Subsequently, PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq, the newly elected party’s interim president, Shahbaz Sharif, and PM Abbasi proposed the name of Nawaz Sharif for the slot of party Quaid which the participants approved with one voice.

Asked if a disqualified person is legally allowed to propose a name for the party president, Mushahidullah Khan said: “Yes... Mr Sharif is still a party member and he can do so.” He would remain the supreme leader of PML-N as Shahbaz and others were party workers, he added. “We have entered a decisive phase that will decide whether there will be a civilian supremacy in the country or not.”

He said the PML-N’s general council would meet on March 6 in Islamabad to elect Shahbaz Sharif (a full-time) president of the party. He smiled away when asked if there were chances that Begum Kulsoom, the wife of Nawaz Sharif, could replace Shahbaz Sharif as the party president eventually.

After getting elected to the ‘new party offices’, both brothers hugged and congratulated each other. Nawaz’s daughter Maryam also reached the stage and hugged her uncle.

She later posted that picture on her Twitter account saying: “We are one. We are united and PML-N is united (behind the Sharifs).”

She also said: “Raja Zafarul Haq proposes Nawaz Sharif as PML-N supreme Quaid for life. The proposal elicited a resounding approval from CWC.”

After getting elevated from the position of PML-N’s Punjab president, Mr Shahbaz tweeted: “I am humbled by the confidence my leader Nawaz Sharif and CWC reposed in me. I vow to work day in and day out to come up to the expectation of the party leadership and workers. The journey of progress will continue unabated.”

He said his elder brother laid the foundations of PML-N and made it the ‘largest and most popular’ political party with his hard work during the past 30 years.

Shortly after becoming the party president, Mr Shahbaz addressing a rally in Pattoki requested Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar to constitute a full bench to hear the allegations of PTI chairman Imran Khan in Multan metro bus case. He also claimed that the PML-N would win the upcoming elections under the leadership of party’s supreme leader.

Defiant Nawaz rejects SC verdict

After getting re-elected at the CWC meeting, the ousted prime minister rejected the Supreme Court verdict and made a long speech underlying the ‘facts’ as how the part of judiciary was used to further the agenda of military dictators while bemoaning his ouster.

“To me taking oath under Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) is a big crime. On the doctrine of necessity, martial laws in the country were endorsed and the military dictators were allowed to amend the Constitution.

“This only happened in Pakistan and not in any neighbouring country,” the defiant Sharif said, adding that he was anticipating a third decision against him in coming days.

“I may be disqualified for life,” he remarked.

Lamenting the verdict against him in Panama Papers case, Mr Sharif said he had a choice to sit back home after getting disqualified but he chose to come out and launch a movement to “restore the respect of the ballot and justice”.

He said: “My reaction is justified. It is evident that the masses have strongly rejected the verdict of my disqualification. And the people will elect us in 2018 election.”

He said: “Politicians are easy targets as no action was ever taken against military dictators.” However, he maintained that Shahbaz would prove to be a better choice for the party president office.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2018