PML-N paves way for Nawaz Sharif's reinstatement as party chief

ISLAMABAD: A National Assembly session has been summoned on October 2, two days earlier before the scheduled date, to pave the way for reinstatement of deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as the chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

The move is being deemed as part of the ruling party’s endeavour to restore deposed premier as Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) president after getting the Election Bill 2017 approved from National Assembly.

President Mamnoon Hussain is expected to sign the bill into law immediately after passage of the bill from the lower house, informed sources said, adding that the party is also to convene a meeting on 3^rd Oct.

Last week, the ruling party had managed to muddle through passing the Elections Reforms Bill 2017 without amending the clause 203, which states that any individual who is not qualified to become a member of the parliament, should not be eligible to become a party’s chairperson either.

The amendment was proposed by the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), which was defeated by 38 votes to 37 votes in the Senate despite the opposition has more votes in the upper house. Hence, the amendment was rejected by a margin of one vote.

The 67-year-old former PM Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in its landmark Panamagate verdict, announced on July 28 this year.

After the court verdict of Nawaz Sharif’s ouster from the top executive office of the country, the election commission ordered the ruling party to elect a new party chief as a disqualified person could not hold any office in a political party.