Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif vacates official residence, leaves for Murree

The ruling PML-N unanimously chose to elevate Abbasi as the interim leader, till ousted PM Nawaz Sharif’s brother Shehbaz Sharif gets elected to the National Assembly.

This is while the country’s army officials have not commented on Sharif’s ouster or reported accusations of their involvement in the ruling.

Among possible allies to replace Sharif in the short term are members of his outgoing cabinet including Defence Minister Asif Khawaja, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Petroleum Minister Shahid Abbasi.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, 58, will become leader on Tuesday and will remain in charge for two months before Shahbaz Sharif, 65, takes over.

That nominee will then have to be elected by the National Assembly, where Sharif’s party enjoys a comfortable majority.

A Punjab minister may keep the Chief Minister’s seat warm for Shahbaz Nawaz’s son for 45 days.

Shahbaz, now the chief minister of Punjab province – Pakistan’s most populous region and the Sharifs’ political heartland – will have to resign from his post and run for a by-election to join parliament before he is elected as prime minister.

The military had an antagonistic relationship with Sharif, who had made several overtures to improve relations with nuclear arch-rival India.

China expressed hope that various parties and sections in Pakistan could “prioritise state and national interests, properly deal with their domestic affairs, maintain unity and stability, and keep focusing on the economic and social development”. Mr Sharif was disqualified from holding public office by Pakistan Supreme Court over undeclared assets relating to Panama Papers scandal.

Imran Khan, who is also chief of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf party, told a news conference the decision will “strengthen democracy and the institutions” and the people will now feel that leaders are answerable to the people.

Meanwhile, party sources said that Sharif proposed name of his younger brother Shehbaz in yesterday’s meeting and none of the participants raised any objection to the proposal.

The ruling came after a probe into his family’s wealth following the 2015 Panama Papers dump linking Mr Sharif’s children to offshore companies.

Sharif has been banned from participating in politics for not being “truthful and honest”.

Mr Sharif’s opponents have called the PML-N’s succession plans dynastic and undemocratic.

Sharif’s supporters have held similar small rallies in the eastern city of Lahore from where he won the 2013 parliamentary elections.

This is the third time Nawaz Sharif has been ousted before completing his term.