Nawaz re-elected PML-N president

Raja Zafarul Haq elected as party chairman; six other leaders as senior vice presidents

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was elected unopposed as president of Pakistan Muslim League-N on Tuesday.

Six party leaders were elected as senior vice presidents, i.e. Raja Zafarul Haq as party chairman, while Sartaj Aziz, Sir Anjaam Khan, Sikandar Hayat, Changez Khan Mari, Imdad Hussain Chandio and Yaqoub Nasir.



Meanwhile, Pervaiz Rashid was elected as secretary finance, whereas Mushahidullah as secretary information.

PMLN Central Intra Party Election. pic.twitter.com/OE30vcuPck

— PMLN (@pmln_org) October 18, 2016

Addressing the party's central council meeting, the premier said he had always 'desired' to serve Pakistan. "Pakistan is changing for the better. By building numerous road networks across the country, we are the ones making 'Naya Pakistan'," he said."Loadshedding will end by 2018."

Taking a jibe at opposition parties, the PM said "Political jokers are misleading people, but we remain unmoved." The ruling party in Khyber-Pakthunkhwa will soon lose its hold in the region, he added.



Although the PML-N’s scheduled intra-party polls did not appear to be something out of the ordinary, the timeline; however, mattered a lot. PTI has rolled up its sleeves to take on the federal government in general, and PM in particular, on November 2, promising to bring all activity in the federal capital to a grinding halt.

Insiders in the PML-N believed the gravity of the situation prompted the ruling party to hold intra-party elections.

PMLN Central Intra Party Election. pic.twitter.com/FySKLOuF9p

— PMLN (@pmln_org) October 18, 2016

“This is an activity better left for ‘lean days’,” commented a party bigwig involved in the intra-party elections. “Not to be done when you are in the eye of the storm,” the party stalwart, who wished to remain anonymous, said.

Intra-party elections in PML-N were last held in 2011. The process would later be applied to lower echelons in the next phase, but the schedule for this exercise has not yet been finalised.