Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been advised by close aides to become the President, replacing Mr Asif Ali Zardari to make sure his Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) completes its five-year term.
“Although the PML-N is considering so many presidential candidates, there are many in the party who want Nawaz Sharif to get himself elected to the top constitutional post,” said a senior PML-N leader.
“Nawaz Shar-if has himself on a number of occasions told his close aides that he is not interested in the Prime Minister’s office anymore. Nawaz Sharif has not turned down such suggestions (to enter the presidency),” he added.
Shahbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister’s younger brother who is the chief minister of Pakistan Punjab, has been acting more like a Prime Minister than a chief minister in recent weeks, spending more time in Islamabad than Lahore. The tag of “de-facto Prime Minister” has already been attached to him.
“The party thinks that he can control the government like Asif Ali Zardari, who nominated his party’s Prime Minister and then ruled through the presidency,” said the PML-N leader.