‘I have been the apple of the establishment’s eye’: PM Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while denying a divide between civilian and military setups, told senior journalists on Saturday that he never claimed to have “no relations with the establishment.”

“I have been the apple of [the establishment’s] eye for the past thirty years,” he added.

The return of his elder brother and three times former prime minister Nawaz Sharif faces no hurdles either according to Shehbaz, who maintained that with the passing of the amendments in the Elections Act, Nawaz’s disqualification period of five years has already ended.

These statements come as the deadline for the appointment of a new caretaker prime minister nears end.

To that end, the PM said he will hold a final meeting today with opposition leader Raja Riaz and in case of a failure to reach a consensus, the decision will lie with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)n to finalise a name.

He also emphasised taking Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) partners into confidence over the matter before the final decision.

Last night, the PM hosted a dinner reception where the outgoing coalition parties granted him complete authority to choose the caretaker premier nominee.

Prominent attendees included Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUIF) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leader Khalid Magsi, and others. During the reception, Shehbaz also encouraged the parties to consider seat adjustments for the upcoming general elections.

President Alvi and PM Shehbaz at odds over caretaker PM selection

Replying to a question, the premier said the past 16 months in the government were the toughest days of his political career. He said the previous regime had “ruined everything”, including the economy and the nation’s diplomatic relations.

“With the blessing of Allah Almighty and cooperation of coalition partners, the government remained successful in averting a default”, he stated. He pointed out that Pakistan restored its relations with friendly countries including China, Qatar, the UAE, the United States, Turkiye, and Iran.