Pakistan Views

Following unopposed election of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president Mian Shahbaz Sharif as MPA from PP-48 (Bhakkar-II), the PML-N led coalition government has commenced efforts for summoning the Punjab Assembly session to pave the way for Shahbaz’s oath as member of the Punjab Assembly.
The sources close to the PML-N circles told Business Recorder here on Tuesday that the Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah has asked the officials of Law & Parliamentary Affairs Department to prepare a summary for the governor for summoning the Punjab Assembly session.
These sources claimed that Shahbaz Sharif may take oath as Punjab chief minister before the budget session of the Punjab Assembly. However, the Punjab Assembly session, which is being called for the oath of Shahbaz Sharif, will continue till the budget of the provincial assembly is finally approved, the sources added. It may be mentioned that Shahbaz was elected as MPA from PP-48 unopposed when all other contesting candidates withdrew their nomination papers. The seat of PP-48 was vacated by Saeed Akbar Khan Niwani who had been elected as an MPA from two constituencies-PP-48 Bhakkar-II and PP-49 Bhakkar-III. Later, Niwani retained PP-49 seat and vacated PP-48.
The sources also claimed that the Election Commission of Pakistan has also issued a notification regarding unopposed election of Shahbaz Sharif from PP-48. Moreover, sources said that the Pakistan Muslim League-N is still trying to persuade the PPP for reinstatement of the deposed judges in accordance with the Murree Declaration. “There is no change in the PML-N stance on the issue of restoration of judges,” the sources said.
Shahbaz Sharif who is former chief minister was considered a very strict administrator and good chief minister of Punjab. He was ousted in the 1999 military coup, which brought Pervez Musharraf to power. Before his oath as CM, his presence is still felt in the bureaucratic circles, the sources said.
Shahbaz also lived in exile in London after coming from Saudi Arabia. Shahbaz once tried coming back to Pakistan following a High Court decision that he was free to come back whenever he wanted. On May 11, 2004 his plane landed at Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore but he was arrested and again deported to Saudi Arabia within a few hours.
According to the PML-N sources, Mian Shahbaz Sharif was elected president of Pakistan Muslim League (N) on 3rd August 2002 while on exile in Saudi Arabia. He was re-elected president of PML (N) for the second term on 2nd August 2006. He was once thought of as a strong future candidate for Prime Minister of Pakistan.