Nawaz Sharif elected unopposed as PML-N president

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif Tuesday elected unopposed as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president, ARY News reported.

Sharif lost the PML-N’s presidentship six years due to a Supreme Court decision in the Panama Papers case.

The five-member election commission of the party headed by Rana Sanaullah. Iqbal Jhagra, Ishrat Ashraf, Jamal Shah Kakar and Khealdas Kohistani supervised the elections.

No candidate submitted nomination papers against Nawaz Sharif.

The general council will also approve resolutions over Kashmir, Palestine and other matters during the session.

The PML-N had earlier announced to hold the party’s general council meeting for the president’s election on May 11, but later decided to hold the session on the occasion Youm-e-Takbeer on May 28, the day marking completion of 26 years since Pakistan’s nuclear tests on May 28th, 1998.

It is pertinent to mention here that the former prime minister was disqualified from holding any public position after being convicted in 2018.

Read more: In another major relief, IHC acquits Nawaz Sharif in Al Azizia reference

Nawaz Sharif was convicted by the Accountability Court in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references. The accountability court had awarded a 10-year jail term with an eight million Pounds fine to Nawaz Sharif in the Avenfield case and a 7-year sentence in the Al-Azizia reference. He was also fined Rs1.5 billion and US$25 million.

The court also disqualified Sharif from holding public office for 10 years.

However, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) acquitted him in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia reference on November 29 and December 12 last year respectively. After the acquittals, the former prime minister also contested the General Elections 2024 and emerged victorious from NA-130 Lahore.