PML-N undergoes major restructuring

Shahid Khaqan appointed as senior vice president; Maryam, Hamza appointed as vice presidents

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif has restructured the party a day after abandoning chairmanship of parliament’s key accountability forum, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

The restructuring was announced after consultation with the PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif, hours after the apex court rejected Nawaz’s plea seeking permanent bail on medical grounds and a permission to get medical treatment abroad.

After the restructuring, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has become the PML-N’s senior vice president while former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal has become the central general secretary.

For the first time, Nawaz’s daughter Maryam Nawaz and Shehbaz’s son Hamza Shehbaz have been appointed as vice presidents of the party. Other key positions have also been allocated to people regarded close to former premier Nawaz Sharif.

There will be a total of 122 vice presidents including Abid Sher Ali, Ayaz Sadiq, Chuadhry Barjees Tahir, Dr Darshan Lal Punchi, Hamza Shehbaz, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Khurram Dastgir, Maryam Nawaz, Mian Javed Latif, Muhammad Zubair, Mushahid Ullah Khan, Nelson Azeem, Pervaiz Rashid, Raheela Durrani, Rana Tanveer Hussain and Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan.

Former finance minister Ishaq Dar, who is facing graft cases and is living in self-exile in London, has been appointed as president international affairs. Noor Ul Hassan Tanvir will be general secretary international affairs.

Baleeghur Rahman and Attaullah Tarar are deputy secretary generals while Bilal Azhar Kiyani, Farhan Zafar Jhagra and Sorath Thebo are appointed as assistant secretary generals. The joint secretaries are Abbas Afridi and Talal Chaudhry.

Former information minister Maryam Aurangzeb is appointed as secretary information, Pervez Malik as the secretary finance and Tariq Fatemi as secretary policy and research.

Shaza Fatima Khawaja has been deputed as the secretary parliamentary affair and Ayesha Raza Farooq as the secretary membership and training. Romina Khursheed Alam has been given the charge of secretary human resources and civil society.

Chuadhry Riaz-ul-Haq has been appointed as president Kisaan Wing, Kamran Michael president Minority Wing, Mian Mannan president Traders Wing, Musadik Malik president Professionals Wing, Nuzhat Amir Sadiq president Women Wing and Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh president of Business & Commerce Wing.

Ramesh Singh Arora has been appointed as general secretary Minority Wing.

The party’s Economic Advisory Council includes Shehbaz Sharif, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Asif, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Muhammad Zubair, Miftah Ismail, Ayesha Ghaus-Pasha, Mushahid Hussain Syed, Musadik Malik, Ali Pervez Malik and Bilal Azhar Kiyani.

Rana Sanaullah Khan is appointed as the PML-N Punjab president, Sardar Awais Leghari as general secretary and Hanif Abbasi as senior vice president. The vice presidents include Raja Ateeq Sarwar, Hafiz Nauman, Khawaja Salman Rafi and Raja Qamarul Islam.

Azma Bukhari is appointed as Punjab secretary information.

Former finance minister Miftah Ismail has been appointed as PML-N Sindh general secretary and Ali Akbar Gujjar as senior vice president. Salman Ali Khan is PML-N’s Karachi president and Nasir ud Din Mehmood as general secretary.