Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday said that the PML-N leadership, including Shehbaz Sharif, had authorised the party supremo Nawaz Sharif to make all decisions for the party, including the selection for the prime minister’s candidacy slot in the general elections of 2023. Maryam was talking to journalists after attending the hearing of her appeal by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the Avenfield Apartment reference on Tuesday.

“Shehbaz Sharif is a fatherly figure, he is president of the PML-N, but the decision on his candidature is to be taken by the party leadership.”

Her comments come after former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had announced that Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif will be PML-N’s candidate for prime minister in the general elections of 2023.

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“Shehbaz Sharif is our president and he will be our next candidate for prime minister,” said Khaqan.

On the other hand, PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah, while speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, said that there is no doubt our workers chant slogans in the name of Nawaz Sharif.

“If Nawaz Sharif is not available, or does not want to become prime minister then the senior-most member next to Mian Nawaz Sharif is Mian Shehbaz Sharif Sahab.”

Rana Sanaullah while talking about the disqualification cases against Maryam Nawaz said that even if the cases against her end, Shehbaz Sharif will be at the forefront of the race.

On being asked if Maryam Nawaz has political ambitions and will she support someone else in the race, Rana said that once a name is announced by the leadership, everyone will fully support the candidate.