ISLAMABAD:
PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif is backing his nephew Hamza Shahbaz to become the president of party’s Punjab chapter in a move that would ‘formally introduce’ the family’s next generation in national politics.
Hamza, who is one of the two sons of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, is currently a Member National Assembly (MNA) and the only youth member of the Sharif family active in politics. His younger brother Salman Shahbaz runs a business in Lahore while Nawaz Sharif’s sons too are uninterested in politics.
“Mian sahib (Nawaz) wants to groom him as the party’s future leader…He thinks Hamza can be his successor in the long run,” said a senior party leader.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was scheduled to hold intra-party elections of its provincial chapters during Ramazan but deferred the exercise to overcome internal differences.
Interestingly, Hamza’s father Shahbaz Sharif is also interested in becoming president of the party’s Punjab chapter but Nawaz is opposed to the idea. Most PML-N leaders cite ‘injecting new blood’ in the party as the sole reason for elder Sharif’s plan to prefer Hamza over his father but some have a different opinion.
They say Nawaz might be preempting what could be the rise of his younger brother as a leader who can ultimately replace him as party chief. There have been reports recently that the military is ready to back the PML-N if somebody other than Nawaz leads it.
Shahbaz has been holding ‘overt and covert’ meetings with military chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani in recent months but it is not known whether Nawaz is in favour of such interactions. The Punjab chief minister has even called for the army’s intervention in restoring peace in Karachi. His party, however, opposed the idea the next day, saying sending army to Karachi would be harmful both for the country and the military.
A PML-N spokesperson told The Express Tribune on Monday that elections for the party’s provincial chapters will now be held in September.
Senator Mushahid Ullah Khan, party’s newly elected information secretary, said several names and options are under consideration for the positions of party’s provincial heads. He however denied that there are any differences in party ranks.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2011.
COMMENTS (26)
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We want to see him as president and PML N ko jmhooriat ka lecture na dia ja...........
I am not getting that why every politician thinks that Pakistan's politics is a family business, and people of Pakistan is racist that because that politician is from our cast or from our province so we have to support him whether his past record is corrupted. How we can blame politicians when we are not together as a nation. I hate to be the part of this nation because our politicians came from nation and every single Pakistani is corrupted. It is not easy to accept but true whether we accept it or not.
This is what Musharraf referred to as a sham democracy. Power lies in the hands of a very few corrupt dynasties. Elections are nothing more than feudals and elites jockying for power. We would have a bright future if we could only replace these looters with people like Mustafa Kamal, ordinary hard working people, not nawabs. Incidentally, was he the one keeping tigers in air conditioned environment a few years back when the rest of the country suffered in sweltering heat during black outs.
@Nawaz S: I m also from Lahore.Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz never attended Aitchison They attended St. Anthony's High School to the best of my knowledge.
I think that hamza shahbaz is perfect candidate for presidency of pmln punjab, because zulfiqar khosa is not sincere and responsible man.
PTI is only true democratic party!!!
Good Luck Hamza, the son of a God gifted personality, Mian Shahbaz Sharif. Long live PML(N). You're doing good for the country. Best wishes.
This is a major blow to future prospects of political reform. What's the point of democracy if there isn't any within the parties themselves?
What is troubling is that there is little to no public outrage meaning that the vast majority of the public either doesn't realize the link between nepotism and bad governance or simply doesn't care.
Until this attitude changes, nothing will.
If PML N wins from Punjab next time it means that People of Punjab appreciate the idea of letting their province play by the hands of Shareefs.
Oh POSITIVE CHANGE earlier parties used to transfer from father to son or daughter this time its nephew, next time it will be neighbour's son, then neighbour's nephew then neighbour's driver's son and then driver's nephew and in this way slowly a common Pakistani will enter politics in 125 years.
I am sorry for not adding the words PPP with the name of Safdar Abbasi as Chairman in my earlier comments
Democracy or Dynasty? Hypocrite rulers, blind followers!
He is a good man. I have kept close eye on Hamza and moonis since they are back from studies. Hamza has shown better integrity and commitment towards good politics. All the best, Hamza.
and you call this democracy :P
Dr. Safdar Abbasi may be made the Chairman and Javed Hashmi the President of PML(N)
political parties are run as family '' Mom & Pop Soda Stores '' one of the worst source of Nepotism that gives birth and umbilical support to corruption. This country would do better without party politics.
Pakistan is a 'family business' after all.
yes,pakistan is suppose to be a democratic country
Mahfooz ur rahman
Pakistan is a kleptocracy, presided over by the Zardari-Bhuttos and the Sharifs. We are sinking, fast.
Pakistan is not a monarchy
Home made recipe for running the country. Democracy is not in our blood. We remain a medieval society. Every thing passes from father to son. It is a step back in time with iron hold on the Party and electorate. If it has to be dictatorship, it is better to be under the army rule than the bureaucrats/politicians nexus of corruption.