Shehbaz Sharif set to be elected Pak prime minister today

As the Pakistan National Assembly convenes today (Monday) to elect prime minister after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday filed their nomination papers, the PTI seems divided over its erstwhile decision of en masse resignations by its lawmakers, The Dawn reports.

While the cabinet division de-notified 52 members of the federal cabinet — 25 federal ministers, four ministers of state, four advisers to the PM and 19 special assistants to the PM — after the historic vote of no-confidence by the joint opposition against ex-premier Imran Khan, Sharif having bright chances to make it to the top slot said the new cabinet would be formed only after consultation with all allies.

As the PTI core committee remained indecisive in a meeting chaired by Imran Khan on Sunday whether to go for en masse resignations of MNAs or not, the party chairman called the parliamentary party meeting at the Parliament House at 12 noon on Monday to make a final decision.

Whether Qureshi will contest the election for the premiership or will resign along with other MNAs of the PTI and its allies depends on the outcome of the PTI parliamentary meeting.

However, the PTI decided to give a tough time to the upcoming government through street protests if the PML-N won the contest in the parliament for which voting would begin at 2pm.

On the other hand, Sharif met the leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam and discussed the political situation. While all the parties kept their cards close to chest about the composition of the new cabinet, sources said PPP leader Naveed Qamar was the strongest candidate for the slot of National Assembly speaker, PML-N leaders Marriyum Aurangzeb and Rana Sanaullah could get the portfolios of information and interior ministries, respectively.