Unity govt in Pakistan as Nawaz proposes brother Shehbaz for PM; will he change relationships with India?

Nawaz Sharif has proposed his brother, Shehbaz Sharif, up for prime minister of Pakistan and Maryam Nawaz for the post of next chief minister of Punjab.

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Edited By: Sonia Dham
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The leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif, has put his brother, Shehbaz Sharif, up for prime minister of Pakistan. He has proposed Maryam Nawaz to be the next chief minister of Punjab, according to the sources.

Using social media platform X, PML-N spokeswoman Maryam Aurangzeb made the statement. Nawaz Sharif expressed gratitude in the message to the Pakistani people as well as the leaders of all political parties for their political support.

In a post on X, Aurangzeb stated, "Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader Mr. Mohammad Nawaz Sharif has nominated Mr. Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif for the post of Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, while he has nominated Mr. Maryam Nawaz Sharif for the post of Chief Minister Punjab. Mr. Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, while thanking the people of Pakistan and the leaders of all the political parties providing political support, has expressed his firm belief that as a result of these decisions, Pakistan will be free from economic risks and people will be free from inflation."

The development has come a few hours after Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari withdrew from the prime ministerial race, saying his party would support ex-premier Nawaz without being part of the new government.

In addition to this, the decision to nominate Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz was taken when  Pakistan Muslim League (N) and MQM leaders agreed on political cooperation.

Shehbaz Sharif made the remarks after a multi-party gathering at Pakistan Muslim League (Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain's house in Islamabad on Tuesday.

Speaking about his previous term as Pakistan Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif said, "When I was PM, I had announced Nawaz Sharif as our party's candidate for PM, and I now request him to accept the position. Additionally, I am officially announcing Maryam Nawaz as our candidate for Punjab CM."

In his speech, he discussed how the coalition government prevented a default while he was prime minister of Pakistan. As reported by The Express Tribune, he credited the accomplishments of the government to the group efforts of those in attendance.
He also cited the establishment of committees by the Pakistan Peoples Party and the PML-N to decide on further steps.

Will Shahbaz Sharif change relationships with India?

Shehbaz Sharif, the new Prime Minister of Pakistan, has made it clear that he wants to improve relations with India, as per sources. He has said that he is willing to talk to India about all issues, including the disputed territory of Kashmir. However, it is too early to say how much of a change this will bring to the relationship between the two countries.

There are a number of factors that could affect how India and Pakistan interact under Sharif's leadership. One factor is the internal political situation in both countries. Sharif's government is a coalition, and it is not clear how much support he will have for a more conciliatory approach towards India.