Nawaz Sharif “Deprived” Brother of Opportunity, Say PML-N Members

Some party members feel there’s no guarantee that Shahbaz will make it to Islamabad to don the PM’s cap in 2018

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (R) with his brother Shahbaz. 

(Photo: Reuters)

Pakistan's disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has "smartly deprived" his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif of an opportunity to become premier, PML-N members in Punjab province believe.

Many Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders believe the Chief Minister of Punjab has missed or made to miss a "golden opportunity" to succeed his elder brother, and that Nawaz Sharif has shattered the dreams of his nephew Hamza Sharif to take up the reins in the province, Dawn online reported.

According to them, there is no guarantee that Shahbaz Sharif will make it to Islamabad to don the premier's cap in 2018 (if PML-N wins the election) as more players from the Sharif family may be in the race for the top post.

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The former Prime Minister's wife Kalsoom might contest if his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif remains entangled in the accountability process till 2018 election, the party leaders said.

"He (Shahbaz) has either failed to convince his elder brother or the latter played smart politics to keep him in Punjab," a PML-N leader close to Shahbaz Sharif told Dawn on Friday.

Perhaps Shahbaz missed the golden chance of becoming premier. Who knows about 2018 election’s outcome and family politics then.

Another leader said:

Nawaz played excellent family politics. First he announced Shahbaz as his successor. Later a campaign within the PML-N was built that Shahbaz’s absence from Punjab would be disastrous for the party.

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According to an PML-N member who wished to remain anonymous, Shahbaz Sharif had tried his best to convince his elder brother not to worry about Punjab and leave it to his son Hamza Sharif.

The Chief Minister also sent a request to Nawaz Sharif from more than 300 PML-N MPs from Punjab, endorsing Shahbaz Sharif in the centre and Hamza Sharif in Punjab.

Once the decision was conveyed to Shahbaz, he asked Rana Sanaullah to tell the media that most party members wanted him in Punjab. It was only a face saving for Shahbaz.

A federal minister told Dawn that the decision to "retain" Shahbaz Sharif had been finalised.

A mere "official" announcement is left from the PML-N about withdrawing Shahbaz Sharif from the election race.

After the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case verdict disqualified Nawaz Sharif from holding the Prime Minister's post, he had announced that his brother would be the premier after an interim arrangement of 45 days for which Abbasi was selected.

Some federal ministers including Khawaja Asif and Khurram Dastgir had already said they wanted Shahbaz Sharif in Punjab, which is a stronghold of PML-N.

(With inputs from IANS.)

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