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LAHORE: The Central Executive Committee of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has nominated its president, and former chief minister of Punjab, Shehbaz Sharif as its candidate for prime minister. He will challenge Imran Khan, chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, which emerged as the biggest party after the July 25 general elections.
The decision was made by the central leadership of the party during a meeting on Monday night at its central secretariat in Lahore. It follows the formation of a multi-party opposition “grand alliance” — the Pakistan Alliance for Fair and Free Elections — to field joint candidates for the country’s top political office, along with National Assembly speaker and deputy speaker, against a government alliance led by PTI. The opposition decided that PML-N will field the candidate for prime minister as it is the second-largest party in national assembly, while the third-largest, the Pakistan Peoples Party, will provide the candidate for speaker, and a Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal member will stand for deputy speaker. The parties pledged to support each other and work together in an attempt to prevent PTI gaining control of the offices.
“The CEC of the party has unanimously nominated its president, Mian Shehbaz Sharif, as its candidate for the post of prime minister,” said party spokeswoman Marriyum Aurangzeb. “He will be the joint candidate of the opposition alliance. The PML-N has rejected the election results owing to worst rigging in the history of Pakistan and a white paper containing the irregularities will be issued soon.”
She added that opposition party leaders and workers will stage a protest demonstration in front of the offices of Election Commission of Pakistan on August 8.
The opposition alliance prevously announced that PPP stalwart Syed Khursheed Shah, former leader of the opposition in National Assembly, would be its candidate for speaker. The PPP leadership is busy negotiating with smaller parties in an attempt to secure support for him and the other opposition candidates.
“The PPP is in contact with the parties that have fewer numbers in the parliament to muster their support,” said Ch. Manzoor Ahmed, a central PPP leader. “We are contacting the BNP and other parties from Balochistan and will make all efforts to help opposition candidates win.”
As the biggest party within religio-political alliance MMA, Jamiat Ulema Islam–Fazl is likely to supply the candidate for deputy speaker. Pundits predict that Maulana Asad Mehmud, the son of MMA chief Maulana Fazul Rehman, is likely to get the nomination.
The opposition alliance believes that with two thirds of the members in the Senate, it can effectively block the ruling alliance.