Nawaz Sharif 'smartly deprived' Shehbaz chance to become PM: PML-N leaders

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif "smartly deprived" his younger brother Shehbaz an opportunity to become prime minister because of "family politics" despite nominating the Punjab chief minister as his eventual successor, according to some Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) leaders.

After his disqualification by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case on July 28, Nawaz had announced that Shehbaz would be prime minister for remaining 10-month tenure of the party after interim arrangements of 45-day for which Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was elected premier.

In the background interviews, some PML-N leaders said they are of the view that Shehbaz is made to miss a "golden opportunity" to succeed his elder brother as there has been no guarantee that he will get the same chance in 2018 in case PML-N wins the election as more players from the elder Sharif family will be there in the race for the top slot.

Sharif's wife Kalsoom will be a strong candidate for the prime minister's slot in case PML-N wins 2018 general election if his daughter - Maryam - is not cleared in corruption cases she is facing in the accountability courts by then," a top PML-N leader said.

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Panama verdict: Nawaz's brother Shehbaz Sharif tipped to be next Pak PM

Pakistan's Punjab province Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif is likely to be made Prime Minister after his brother Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court over the Panama Papers scandal, sources in the PML-N party said on Friday.

Shehbaz, 65, the current chief minister of Punjab, is the natural choice for the top post, sources in the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party said.

"He is an untiring worker, hard task master, loyal to his brother and also in the good books of the powerful establishment," a source said.

However, he cannot immediately replace his brother as he is not a member of the National Assembly. In order to become the Prime Minister, he would first have to be elected to Parliament.

Hence, an interim Prime Minister would have to be chosen from among the confidants of Nawaz. The interim premier will resign once Shehbaz is elected to the National Assembly.

This would not be the first time such an arrangement would be worked out.

During former military ruler Pervez Musharraf's time, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was appointed as interim Prime Minister until Shaukat Aziz, who was nominated by Musharraf, got elected by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q).
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