Islamabad:

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been elected unopposed as the President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), as reported by ARY News.

Sharif, who previously lost the presidency of PML-N due to a Supreme Court ruling in the Panama Papers case six years ago, has now reclaimed the position unopposed.

The party’s five-member election commission, chaired by Rana Sanaullah and including Iqbal Jhagra, Ishrat Ashraf, Jamal Shah Kakar, and Khealdas Kohistani, oversaw the election process.

Notably, no candidate submitted nomination papers against Nawaz Sharif, paving the way for his uncontested election, according to ARY News.

During the session, the general council will also address resolutions concerning Kashmir, Palestine, and other pertinent matters.

Initially scheduled for May 11, the party’s general council meeting for the presidential election was later rescheduled to coincide with Youm-e-Takbeer on May 28. This date marks 26 years since Pakistan’s historic nuclear tests on May 28th, 1998.

It’s worth mentioning that Nawaz Sharif was previously disqualified from holding any public position following his conviction in 2018.

Sharif faced convictions in both the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references by the Accountability Court, resulting in a 10-year jail term and an eight-million-pound fine in the Avenfield case, and a seven-year sentence in the Al-Azizia reference, accompanied by a fine of Rs1.5 billion and USD25 million. Additionally, he was disqualified from holding public office for 10 years.

However, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) acquitted him in both the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references on November 29 and December 12 of the previous year, respectively. Following his acquittals, Sharif contested and emerged victorious in the General Elections 2024 from NA-130 Lahore, ARY News reported.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

In this Feb. 20, 1999 file photo, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, left, receives Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Wagah border near Lahore, Pakistan.
| Photo Credit: AP

Former Pakistan premier Nawaz Sharif on May 28 admitted that Islamabad had “violated” an agreement with India signed by him and ex-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999, in an apparent reference to the Kargil misadventure by Gen Pervez Musharraf.

“On May 28, 1998, Pakistan carried out five nuclear tests. After that Vajpayee Saheb came here and made an agreement with us. But we violated that agreement…it was our fault,” Mr. Sharif told a meeting of the PML-N general council that elected him president of the ruling party six years after he was disqualified by the Supreme Court.

Also read | Vajpayee, Sharif spoke over phone in the midst of Kargil War, says book

Mr. Sharif and Vajpayee signed the Lahore Declaration on February 21, 1999, after a historic summit here. The agreement that talked about a vision of peace and stability between the two countries signalled a major breakthrough, but a few months later Pakistani intrusion in the Kargil district in Jammu and Kashmir led to the Kargil War.

“President Bill Clinton had offered Pakistan $5 billion to stop it from carrying out nuclear tests but I refused. Had [former prime minister] Imran Khan like a person been on my seat he would have accepted Clinton’s offer,” Mr. Sharif said on a day when Pakistan marked the 26th anniversary of its first nuclear tests.

Mr. Sharif (74) talked about how he was removed from the office of the prime minister in 2017 on a false case by then chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar. He said all cases against him were false while the cases against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder leader Imran Khan were true.

He also talked about the role of former ISI chief Gen Zahirul Islam in toppling his government in 2017 to bring Imran Khan into power. He asked Imran Khan to deny that he was not launched by the ISI.

“I ask Imran not to blame us [of being patronised by the army] and tell whether Gen Islam had talked about bringing the PTI into power,” he said and added Khan would sit at the feet of the military establishment.

The three-time premier talked about receiving a message from Gen Islam to resign from the office of Prime Minister [in 2014]. “When I refused, he threatened to make an example of me,” he said.

Mr. Sharif also praised his younger brother Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for standing by his side through thick and thin. “Efforts were made to create differences between us but Shehbaz remained loyal to me. Even Shehbaz was asked to become PM in the past and leave me but he declined,” he said.

Mr. Sharif said after assuming the office of the PML-N President he would renew efforts to strengthen the party.

Lahore:

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday admitted that Islamabad had “violated” an agreement with India signed by him and ex-prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999, in an apparent reference to the Kargil misadventure by Gen Pervez Musharraf.

“On May 28, 1998, Pakistan carried out five nuclear tests. After that Vajpayee Saheb came here and made an agreement with us. But we violated that agreement…it was our fault,” Sharif told a meeting of the PML-N general council that elected him president of the ruling party six years after he was disqualified by the Supreme Court.

After a historic summit here, Nawaz Sharif and Ata Bihari Vajpayee signed the Lahore Declaration on February 21, 1999. The agreement that talked about a vision of peace and stability between the two countries signalled a breakthrough. Still, a few months later Pakistani intrusion in the Kargil district in Jammu and Kashmir led to the Kargil conflict.

“President Bill Clinton had offered Pakistan USD 5 billion to stop it from carrying out nuclear tests but I refused. Had (former prime minister) Imran Khan like a person been on my seat he would have accepted Clinton’s offer,” Sharif said on a day when Pakistan marked the 26th anniversary of its first nuclear tests.

Sharif, 74, talked about how he was removed from the office of the prime minister in 2017 on a false case by then Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar. He said all cases against him were false while the cases against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder leader Imran Khan were true.

He also talked about the role of former ISI chief Gen Zahirul Islam in toppling his government in 2017 to bring Imran Khan into power. He asked Imran Khan to deny that he was not launched by the ISI.

“I ask Imran not to blame us (of being patronised by the army) and tell whether Gen Islam had talked about bringing the PTI into power,” he said and added Khan would sit at the feet of the military establishment.

The three-time premier talked about receiving a message from Gen Islam to resign from the office of prime minister (in 2014). “When I refused, he threatened to make an example of me,” he said.

Sharif also praised his younger brother Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for standing by his side through thick and thin. “Efforts were made to create differences between us but Shehbaz remained loyal to me. Even Shehbaz was asked to become PM in the past and leave me but he declined,” he said.

Sharif said after assuming the office of the PML-N President he would renew efforts to strengthen the party. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Islamabad:

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif accused Pakistan Tareek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan of ‘backstabbing’ him in 2013 by carrying out protest rallies despite assuring him of cooperation after elections, reported Dawn.

Addressing a meeting of the PML-N’s Central Working Committee (CWC) in Lahore, Nawaz said upon assuming power in 2013, he visited Imran at his residence in Banigala and they agreed on a working relationship for the country’s sake.

Nawaz further said Imran, thereafter, went to London along with other political leaders where a “plot was hatched” as per which protests were launched in the country upon the latter’s return, Dawn reported.

Nawaz said he was left befuddled by the development, adding that he should have been informed about the matter or whatever the PTI’s reservations were, according to the report.

“I visit you and you stab me in the back by assuring cooperation, and then you begin protests in Islamabad’s D-Chowk?” Dawn quoted Nawaz as saying.

He added that his cabinet also called for a crackdown on the protests by the police but he asked them to desist, Dawn reported.

The former PM added that it was a ‘matter of record’ that his government had not impeded the formation of the PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the 2013 elections, despite being in the position to do so through a coalition.

“We call for accountability of those who destroyed and ruined Pakistan,” the PML(N) chief said.

Urging the people to take a judgment call on which political party had served them the best, Nawaz said they should consider these aspects before casting their votes.

“I have the right to ask my nation this question: What do you think, before voting, about Nawaz Sharif’s performance was and what was that of his opponents?…the nation should answer this. I have a slight complaint with the nation as well. A prime minister is removed in a false case of not taking a salary from his son and the nation stays silent, this is not right,” the former PM said.

Addressing the meeting, Nawaz said false cases against the party were ‘exposed’.

Lauding the performance of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, he also predicted a turnaround in the country’s fortunes going forward, according to Dawn.

Speaking before him, the PM said he was at peace with stepping down as the PML(N) chief and wanted his brother to assume the party’s presidency.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Lahore, Pakistan:

Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said he had an audio recording of former chief justice Saqib Nisar in which he is allegedly heard saying to oust him and to bring in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan.

Demanding action against those judges of the Supreme Court involved in his ouster as the prime minister in 2017, the 74-year-old three-time former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo also expressed his disappointment over the attitude of the people of Pakistan towards him and his party.

He was addressing a party meeting in Lahore on Saturday in which it was decided that he would be re-elected as the party president on May 28.

Nawaz Sharif was removed from the office of the party president after he was disqualified as Prime Minister in 2017 in the Panama Papers-related corruption cases. His younger brother Shehbaz Sharif then took the helm of the party before resigning from the post last week.

Decrying his disqualification, Nawaz Sharif said nowhere in the world do judges send a prime minister home on phoney charges.

“I want to ask why I was ousted from the PM office,” he said and disclosed that he had with him an audio proof of former CJP Nisar in which he was heard saying, “We have to remove Nawaz Sharif to bring in Imran Khan as premier.” “A case should be initiated against retired Justice Mazahir Ali Naqvi for making huge assets and also other judges involved in this conspiracy,” he said. The PML-N supremo also demanded an independent investigation to get to the bottom of this conspiracy against him and his government.

Not happy with the people of Pakistan for not voting for his party in the February 8 general elections, Nawaz Sharif said, “I ask the people… do you think while giving votes. I need an answer from the nation.” Similarly, he said he was unhappy with the nation as it stood silent when he was illegally removed from the office of the prime minister.

Nawaz Sharif’s hopes to become the prime minister for a record fourth time after returning to Pakistan from a four-year self-imposed exile in London last October were dashed as Imran Khan’s party despite fighting elections without its electoral symbol of a ‘cricket bat’ emerged victorious.

However, Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N made a six-party coalition government and Shehbaz Sharif, who calls himself a darling of the military establishment, became the prime minister. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Islamabad:

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday resigned as the President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), ARY News reported, citing sources.

Shehbaz Sharif has submitted his resignation as party president to Nawaz Sharif, the PML-N supremo.

In light of the senior politician’s resignation, the PML-N has decided to call a general council meeting in Lahore on May 28 to elect a new president.

The PML-N had earlier announced to hold general council meeting on May 11, reported ARY News.

In a recent presser, Rana Sanaullah stated that the Punjab chapter of the PML-N has asked Nawaz Sharif to take up the party presidency once more, stressing the importance of his leadership to the party’s achievements.

He stated that a resolution asking Nawaz Sharif to lead the party once more through this trying time was passed during the PML-N Punjab meeting, according to ARY News.

It is important to note that, following his conviction in 2018, the former prime minister was barred from holding any public office.

However, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) acquitted him in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references on November 29 and December 12, respectively.

After his acquittal, the former PM contested the General Elections 2024 and returned elected from NA-130 Lahore.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Islamabad:

Three-time former Pakistan premier Nawaz Sharif will embark on Monday on a five-day personal visit to China, where he will undergo a medical checkup, according to a media report.

This will be 74-year-old Mr Sharif’s first international visit after he returned to Pakistan in October last year following a four-year self-imposed exile in the UK.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on his “personal visit”, Geo News reported on Monday.

Mr Sharif’s visit is personal and during the trip, he will undergo a medical checkup, the report said, quoting party sources.

The former prime minister would also hold meetings related to the development works of the Punjab province and will also meet the owners of Chinese companies, sources said.

The PML-N leader was allowed by a high court in November 2019 to go abroad on health grounds after his medical reports revealed that he needed urgent treatment.

He returned to Pakistan from London in October last year after living in four years of self-imposed exile.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari family members attend a ceremony after Mr. Zardari became the first Pakistani to be elected as Pakistan’s President for the second time. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

The Zardaris have overtaken the Sharifs to hold the record for having the most number of lawmakers from a family in Pakistani politics after President Asif Ali Zardari and slain former premier Benazir Bhutto’s youngest daughter Aseefa was elected unopposed as a member of Parliament.

Ms. Aseefa Bhutto Zardari (31), who is set to become the First Lady, had filed a nomination for the National Assembly seat NA-207 from the Shaheed Benazirabad (formerly Nawabshah) area of Sindh province for the bye-election scheduled for next month.

According to a notification issued by the Returning Office of the area, Ms. Bhutto Zardari was elected unopposed after three candidates who had filed papers against her withdrew their names from the contest. It left her with no challenger and she was declared a winner in her maiden electoral contest on March 29. The seat was vacated by her father Asif Ali Zardari after he was elected as the president.

Ms. Bhutto Zardari holds a bachelor’s degree in politics and sociology and a master’s in global health and development. She served as a goodwill ambassador for the polio eradication campaign in 2012.

With her victory, the Zardari family has six lawmakers at the national and provincial levels. Mr. Zardari is the country’s president, his daughter Aseefa, son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and brother-in-law Munawar Ali Talpur are Members of the National Assembly. Mr. Zardari’s sisters Faryal Talpur and Azra Pechuho are members of the provincial assembly in Sindh.

The Zardari family has the most number of legislators from a single family, breaking the record set by the Sharif family.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s elder brother Nawaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz Sharif have been elected MNAs. Maryam Nawaz Sharif is the chief minister of Punjab.

Both political families are very influential and have dominated Pakistani politics for decades.

A Pakistan anti-corruption court on Tuesday acquitted the two sons of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in three cases of alleged corruption, nearly ending the legal problems faced by the former prime minister’s family.

Hassan and Hussain Nawaz were implicated in the Avenfield, Flagship, and Al-Azizia corruption cases in 2018 related to the Panama Papers.

In 2018, the two brothers were declared proclaimed offenders after they failed to join the investigation in Avenfield Apartment, Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment cases filed by the National Account­ability Bureau (NAB).

However, their trials were not held as they were abroad while their father Sharif, the main accused, was convicted in the Avenfiled and Al-Azizia corruption cases but acquitted in the Flagship case.

The three-time former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Sharif returned from London to Pakistan in October last year after ending his self-exile for nearly four years. He challenged his conviction in the two cases and the Islamabad High Court acquitted him. This emboldened his sons to return from London to face the charges.

They returned on March 12 after the court had suspended their absconder status until March 14 when they finally appeared before the court and were given bail.

They had also asked the court to acquit them after the main accused was exonerated.

On Tuesday, the acquittal plea was heard by the accountability court. Judge Nasir Javed Rana after hearing the case, acquitted the two in all three cases.

Earlier the same court granted Sharif’s sons major relief by revoking its earlier order declaring them proclaimed offenders and cancelling their permanent arrest warrants.

With the cases against his two sons wrapped up with Tuesday’s acquittal, the entire family of Nawaz Sharif has been exonerated in cases which were launched against him and his family members in 2017 when he was disqualified by the Supreme Court.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Since the Sharif family and their party – the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – are being patronage by the current military establishment, all the cases against them have either been closed or acquitted.
| Photo Credit: PTI

In a major relief to ex-Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s family, an anti-corruption court on March 14 cancelled the permanent arrest warrants against his two sons, who recently returned from the UK after a seven-year self-imposed exile.

Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz left the country in 2018 after they were named in the 2016 Panama Papers scandal.

They faced charges in three corruption cases related to the Panama Papers but never appeared before the courts, which declared them absconders.

The brothers returned to Pakistan on Tuesday after an Islamabad anti-corruption court on March 7 suspended the perpetual arrest warrants against the two until Thursday, clearing the last hurdle for their safe return to the country.

On Thursday, Mr. Hassan and Mr. Hussain appeared at the Islamabad-based Accountability Court, which, after hearing the arguments, cancelled the permanent arrest warrant issued in the Flagship, Al-Azizia and Avenfield corruption cases.

The court also approved their bail against a surety bond worth ₹50,000 each.

Both sons of the former prime minister also applied for exemption from attending court on the next hearing. The court adjourned the hearing till Friday.

The brothers, who are British nationals, were implicated in the cases in 2018 along with their father, Nawaz Sharif, sister Maryam Nawaz and her husband, Muhammad Safdar.

Nawaz Sharif, Ms. Maryam and Mr. Safdar were convicted in the Avenfield while the three-time former premier was also convicted in the Al-Azizia cases and acquitted in the Flagship case.

All of them separately challenged convictions in the Islamabad High Court. Maryam and Safdar were the first to get relief in 2022 when they were acquitted while Nawaz Sharif was still living in London. Last year, he returned and, after brief proceedings, was acquitted in all cases.

After their acquittal, only the two brothers were required to face the courts, as they were not formally tried due to their absence. Like their father, the two brothers are likely to get acquitted in all three cases as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), which had instituted these cases against them, has given them a clean chit.

Since the Sharif family and their party – the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – are being patronage by the current military establishment, all the cases against them have either been closed or acquitted.

In October last year, Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan after a four-year self-imposed exile in the UK, and after brief proceedings, he was acquitted in all cases.

His younger brother, Shehbaz Sharif, was elected as Pakistan’s prime minister for a second time after the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party agreed on a power-sharing deal to form a coalition government.

Ms. Maryam, the 50-year-old daughter of Nawaz Sharif, took oath as the first-ever woman chief minister of Pakistan’s most populous and politically crucial Punjab province on February 26.