Pakistan's Former Prime Minister Nominates Successor, Interim

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif nominated his brother Shehbaz Sharif to become his successor and Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources to be interim prime minister.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif nominated at a meeting of the leadership of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (N) party on Saturday his brother Shehbaz to be become his successor and Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to be interim prime minister.

"If you support anyone after me, I ask you to support Shehbaz Sharif… It will take Shehbaz Sharif 50-55 days to take over as prime minister. He will have to contest elections," the former prime minister said as quoted by the GEO broadcaster. "For the interim period, I am recommending

Pakistani Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi talks with media representatives at his office in Islamabad

© AFP 2023 / Farooq NAEEM

for the position of prime minister."

Shehbaz Sharif is currently serving as the chief minister of Pakistani province of Punjab and will have to resign to be able to become a new prime minister.

On Friday, Pakistani Supreme Court decided to remove Sharif following corruption investigation into his family. The investigation was launched after Panama Papers leak revealed in April 2016 that Sharif's two sons and a daughter owned at least three offshore companies registered on the British Virgin Islands.