Pakistan poll body accepts Nawaz Sharif’s nomination for 2024 elections

December 28, 2023 12:06 pm

Islamabad: Pakistan’s election body accepted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s nomination for the 2024 national elections, ARY News reported. This means that no objections have been raised to 73-year-old Nawaz Sharif’s candidature have been raised as he will now contest both from Lahore and Mansahra city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

What Shehbaz Sharif said about Nawaz Sharif?

His younger brother and former premier Shehbaz Sharif claimed that Nawaz Sharif is going to be the next prime minister of Pakistan for a record fourth time after the general election in February.

“Nawaz Sharif is going to the PM for the fourth time by the will of God after (Feb 8, 2024) polls,” Shehbaz Sharif said, adding, “We have made Pakistan economically strong again under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif.”

Why is the election body’s move important?

Nawaz Sharif was banned from running in elections by the Supreme Court in 2017 which declared him dishonest for not disclosing income from a company which was owned by his son. A court overturned two convictions for graft against Nawaz Sharif who arrived back home in October from four years of self-imposed exile in London.

His biggest challenge will be to wrest back his support base from his main rival, former cricket hero Imran Khan who remains popular following his ouster from the premiership in 2022.

What about Imran Khan?

Imran Khan is disqualified from the election because of the graft conviction, which he has appealed. Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan alleged that Nawaz Sharif returned to the country under a ‘London Plan’ as per which military establishment will make him prime minister.