Pakistan's ruling party elects ousted PM as new chief

Pakistan's ruling Muslim League (PML-N) party on Tuesday elected ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as its chief weeks after the country's top court disqualified him from holding any public office, party officials said.

Pakistan's Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif on July 28 over corruption charges.

Sharif's election came hours after the parliament approved a new law that allows politicians disqualified from holding public office to head a political party.

Opposition lawmakers protested in the session of the National Assembly or Lower House of the parliament Monday evening when Law Minister Zaid Hamid introduced an amendment in the "Election Bill 2017".

Earlier a politician could not hold any party position if disqualified by a court. PML-N also amended its own constitution to allow disqualified person heads the party.

Tariq Fazl Chaudhry, a cabinet minister and a senior PML-N leader, told the media that no other candidate submitted nomination papers until 10 a.m.

The opposition parties have announced that they would move the court against the amendment in the election bill as they think it has paved the way for disqualified persons to hold key position in the political system.

The PML-N, however, defended the amendment and insisted that the move was aimed at removing the "faulty laws enforced by dictators."

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)