Shehbaz Sharif elected PML-N president, says Nawaz will remain 'our Quaid'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday elected Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif as the party’s permanent president.

Shehbaz who had been serving as the interim president was elected unopposed during the party’s central general council meeting.

Addressing the meeting, Shehbaz Sharif thanked Nawaz, his brother, for entrusting the important party position to him. “The world knows that injustice was served to our leader Nawaz,” Shehbaz told party workers, “but I believe he will get justice.”

The PML-N president asserted that Nawaz Sharif is, was and will remain the party’s Quaid (supremo). “We have been blessed with a Quaid like Nawaz Sharif.”

Shehbaz said that no one can take the place of Nawaz Sharif in the party. “The world knows Nawaz Sharif,” he said.

While praising the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, the CM Punjab said that he always took guidance from Nawaz.

Shehbaz said that only Nawaz can be considered ‘political heir of Mohammed Ali Jinnah’. 

Shehbaz lashed out at political opponents, saying they have not done anything but make tall claims while the government actually delivered to the people.

On February 27, the PML-N’s Central Working Committee (CWC) had elected Shehbaz as the interim president after he was nominated by Nawaz Sharif. The committee had also elected Nawaz as lifetime Quaid of the party.

The CWC meeting was held after Nawaz was disqualified as the PML-N president following the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Elections Act 2017 case. The apex court ruled that a person disqualified under Article 62 and 63 cannot serve as the head of a political party.