Aamir Qureshi—AFP
Former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi named senior vice president, Maryam Nawaz vice president of opposition party
The opposition Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) on Friday announced a major restructuring of its makeup, formally inducting Maryam Nawaz into a leadership role and elevating former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s position.
In an official statement, the PMLN said party founder Nawaz Sharif’s daughter, Maryam, would assume the role of a vice president alongside 15 other stalwarts: Hamaza Shahbaz, Abid Sher Ali, Ayaz Sadiq, Chaudhry Barjees Tahir, Darshan Lal Punchi, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Khurram Dastagir Khan, Mian Javed Latif, Muhammad Zubair, Mushahidullah Khan, Nelson Azeem, Pervaiz Rasheed, Raheela Durrani, Rana Tanveer, and Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former prime minister of Pakistan, has been named the party’s new senior vice president, granting him the authority of the party president while Shahbaz Sharif remains in London for medical treatment. Sharif had earlier stepped down as head of the Public Accounts Committee and been replaced by Rana Tanveer.
In addition to the new leadership roles, the PMLN also announced the makeup of its Economic Advisory Council and shuffled some other senior positions. The party’s EAC will be led by Shahbaz Sharif and comprise 12 members: Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Asif, Qaiser Sheikh, Muhammad Zubair, Miftah Ismail, Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Mushahid Hussain Syed, Musaddik Malik, Ali Pervez Malik and Bilal Azhar Kiyani. Dar, currently residing in London while he faces a corruption reference in Pakistan, has also been appointed the president of international affairs,
Additionally, former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal has been appointed the central secretary general of the party, while former defense minister Asif is the PMLN’s new parliamentary leader in the National Assembly. Former information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb is the new central information secretary.
Syed Tariq Fatemi would take charge as policy and research secretary; Shaza Fatima Khawaja the secretary of parliamentary affairs; Ayesha Raza Farooq secretary of membership and training; Romina Khursheed Alam the secretary of human resources and civil society.
In Punjab, former provincial law minister Rana Sanaullah has been appointed president; Awais Leghari the general secretary; Hanif Abbasi the senior vice president; Raja Ateeq Sarwar, Hafiz Nouman, Raja Qamarul Islam and Salman Rafique vice presidents; and Uzma Bukhari the secretary for information.
In Sindh, Miftah Ismail has been named the general secretary and Ali Akbar Gujjar senior vice president.