ISLAMABAD:
Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, will be succeeding his brother as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
The decision on Nawaz’s successor was taken in two separate meetings of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), chaired by Nawaz himself. Shahid Khagan Abbasi will be the interim Prime Minister of Pakistan because 65-year-old Shehbaz cannot immediately replace his brother since he is not a member of parliament.
The Supreme Court on Friday disqualified 67-year-old Sharif for dishonesty and ruled that corruption cases be filed against him and his children over the Panama Papers scandal, forcing the embattled leader out of office.
Nawaz Sharif’s brother is currently the chief minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province. The first major public office held by Shehbaz was when in 1988 he was elected to the Punjab Provincial Assembly and later to the National Assembly in 1990. Shehbaz was again elected to the Punjab Assembly in 1993 and named Leader of the Opposition. Elected a third time in 1997, Sharif was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Punjab on February 20, 1997.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resigned on Friday Supreme Court disqualified him over corruption claims against his family’s wealth. The Court said Sharif was not fit to hold office and ordered a criminal investigation into him and his family after they could not account for the Sharif’s vast wealth.
The verdict, delivered by a five-member supreme court, comes after the Panama Papers leak documented the involvement of Sharif’s children in the purchase of high-end London properties through offshore companies. It is the third time the 67-year-old veteran politician’s term as premier has been cut short.
The court disqualified Sharif under Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution. The articles state that a member of Parliament should be “truthful” and “righteous”.
