(Daily Point) — Following Nawaz Sharif’s decision to nominate his younger brother, Shehbaz Sharif, for the prime ministerial candidacy and his daughter, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, for the position of Punjab chief minister on Tuesday night, a wave of emotions swept through PMLN supporters on social media.
Expressing sentiments ranging from sorrow and shame to outright dejection, loyalists conveyed their reactions online.
The announcement of Shehbaz Sharif’s nomination for the top position was communicated to the nation by party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb in a post on X.
The reasons behind Nawaz Sharif’s decision to forego the possibility of becoming the prime minister for the fourth time were not immediately clear. Reports suggested that the PPP had agreed to support a PMLN-led government at the center only on the condition that Shehbaz Sharif would assume the role of prime minister. Alternatively, some sources claimed that Nawaz Sharif was unwilling to lead a weak ruling coalition, which would be ineffective in addressing significant economic challenges.
The development shocked many PMLN loyalists, who perceived it as an injustice to Nawaz Sharif. Expressing disappointment, PMLN stalwart Mian Javed Latif wrote, “We are ashamed that we could not do justice to your narrative… Perhaps we as a nation have forgotten kindness.”
Senator Afnanullah praised Nawaz Sharif’s decision, describing it as ‘historic’ for refusing the premiership. Meanwhile, some PMLN supporters announced their disassociation from the party following Nawaz Sharif’s exclusion from the race.
PMLN’s official social media handles posted multiple messages within a short span, featuring photos of Nawaz Sharif and proclaiming him as ‘the only leader’ who served the Pakistani nation.
On the other hand, certain TV anchors prodded the party for a response to its earlier claims about Nawaz Sharif becoming the prime minister. Gharida Farooqi shared an image of newspaper advertisements predicting ‘Nawaz Sharif becomes prime minister’ and questioned PMLN’s course of action, asking, “Was Nawaz Sharif only a poster boy?”
TV host Kamran Khan asserted that PMLN leadership, including Maryam Nawaz, was aware in advance that Shehbaz Sharif would head a coalition government after the election, accusing them of creating a drama to mislead the public into believing that Nawaz Sharif was set to become the prime minister.
