Islamabad, Aug 03: Deposed Premier Nawaz Sharif today nominated his brother to head Pakistan Muslim League (N) in the forthcoming polls -- an apparent setback to former Prime Minister Banazir Bhutto, who was re-elected as her party's chairperson in defiance of the new rule by President Pervez Musharraf rendering the duo ineligible for the elections. Though the party had reposed faith in Sharif's leadership, the deposed Prime Minister nominated his brother Shebaz Sharif to head PML (N) to save it from being disqualified by the military regime.

Paksitan's new electoral laws bar political parties, which elect convicted persons as their leaders.

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

The move comes as an apparent setback to the efforts of Bhutto, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson, as she was expecting Nawaz Sharif to remain the PML(N) chief hoping that the two parties could give a joint fight to the military regime. Observers here feel Nawaz may now be attempting to strike a deal with the military regime leaving Bhutto to fend for herself.

Sharif was convicted and sentenced to life for refusing to allow Musharraf's plane from landing in Karachi in October 1999. He had subsequently struck a deal with the Musharraf government and accepted the exile deal that enabled him and his family to move to Jeddah.

The nomination of Shebaz, former chief minister of Punjab province, was in compliance with a new law promulgated by the military regime, which makes fresh party elections mandatory in order to qualify for the October 10 parliamentary polls.
Bureau Report