Forward bloc in PML-N: Will Nawaz Sharif be replaced by another party member?

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has claimed that four Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders were “hell-bent on removing the party supremo Nawaz Sharif from the party.”

Addressing a gathering in Lahore, Fawad said that there is a “rat race going on among senior PML-N members as to who would lead the party next,” adding that, “four top-most party leaders want to remove PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in a bid to take over the party’s leadership.”

The federal minister even claimed that the four members he was referring to “even went out to meet someone and confessed that since Nawaz had treated the country in a bad manner, they should instead be given a chance to lead the party.”

When asked for names Fawad said that their names will soon be out and that the four of them sit in the front row.

Energy Minister Hammad Azhar took to Twitter and asked the PML-N leadership to show courage and come forward with their ambitions.

“It is a good thing that there are four members in the Noon League who have the courage to consider themselves more qualified and entitled to lead than the Sharif family,” said Hammad.

ایک طرف تو یہ خوش آئند بات ہے کے نون لیگ میں چار ارکان ایسے بھی ہیں جو اپنے آپ کو شریف خاندان سے زیادہ اہل اور قیادت کرنے کا حقدار سمجھنے کی جرائت رکھتے ہیں۔
البتہ اِس عزم کا اظہار اُن کو بند کمروں میں نہیں بلکہ کھلے عام کرنا چاہیے۔ ساری عمر کیا ڈرتے ہی گزار دیں گے؟

— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) January 17, 2022

“However, they should express this commitment openly, not behind closed doors. Will you spend your whole life in fear?” tweeted Hammad.

Confirming what Fawad had said, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s Special Assistant on Capital Development Authority (CDA), Ali Nawaz Awan, while speaking on Geo News programme, ‘Captial Talk’ said, “The entire city is talking about [replacement of Nawaz Sharif.]”

I will name two members [out of the four hinted by Fawad] Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Khawaja Asif,” said Awan.

Prior to this, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed had hinted on a minus Sharif leadership and said, “They [Opposition] want that the hand [protecting] Imran Khan should be on their head as well,” adding, ” this hand can be on their [Opposition] neck but never on their head.” Rasheed’s words hint towards the establishment.

“I would like to say a historical sentence that all four Sharif’s are minus from the politics of Pakistan,” said Rasheed.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda, while speaking on ARY News programme, ‘Off the Record’ was questioned about the four names who wanted to replace Nawaz Sharif.
“Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ayaz Sadiq, Ahsan Iqbal, and Miftah Ismail are the names who wish to replace Nawaz,” said Vawda.

Anchorperson Kashif Abbasi asked Vawda as to where did the above-mentioned people go and whom did they meet? Vawda said, “Any door can be knocked, one can go and meet anyone.