By Anzal Amin
ISLAMABAD: Hours after it was reported that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has resigned from his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) post, spokesperson for Nawaz Sharif Mohammad Zubair confirmed the development.
“He [Shahid Khan Abbasi] is a big leader and quitting the post will have no effect on him,” Zubair told the media. He also added that Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb had also confirmed the resignation.
Zubair said that he doesn’t want to “wash dirty laundry” in public, adding that Miftah Ismail is still with PML-N.
“He is a very senior leader and a former prime minister. The party needs his experience.”
Earlier in the day, media reported that the former prime minister had resigned from the post of PML-N Senior Vice President.
Abbasi decided to step down after Maryam Nawaz was elevated as the party’s chief organiser and senior vice presi-dent by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is also PML-N president.
Reports had claimed that the former premier was unhappy with the decision taken without consulting other party members. They had also shared that Abbasi had tendered his resignation the next day after her appointment. Earlier this month, Maryam was promoted and tasked to reshuffle the party for the better.
She was also authorised to reorganise the party at all functional tiers/levels as “chief organiser”.
The appointment makes Maryam the third most powerful figure in the party after her father, Nawaz Sharif, and her uncle Shehbaz Sharif, who is the sitting prime minister.
“Maryam Nawaz is appointed senior vice president and in this situation, there’s no reason for me to work as party’s SVP,” Abbasi told party leadership.
When approached, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi denied giving any statement to the media regarding his resignation.
