The notice that popped up just a day before Nawaz was about to hold a two-day road show from Islamabad to his hometown Lahore, crashed his hopes to garner the much needed political mileage for his party. In the face of the challenges Nawaz is facing, this notice can be a big setback for him.
Pakistan's ruling party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has been issued a notice by the Election Commission of Pakistan on Tuesday asking the party to remove the ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from the post of party chief.
The PML-N, which is largely known as the party of Nawaz Sharif, is currently the ruling party with Shahid Khaqan Abbasi having replaced Nawaz as the PM.
According to reports, the notice has provided three grounds for the removal of Nawaz as the party chief. It has been stated under the Political Parties Order 2002, that a disqualified lawmaker cannot hold any office in a political party.
The notice also had the reference of Supreme Court's order against Nawaz. In the Panama Papers case , the Supreme Court of Pakistan had asked Nawaz to formally step down as prime minister on the charges of dishonesty and false declaration.
The ECP also observed the Article 15 of the PML-N's own party constitution which states that if the seat of party president is vacant, it has to be filled within a week's time.
The ECP has asked the party to elect a new party leader soon and inform it.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan, has advised the PML-N to distance itself from the ousted premier, or it would end up "ruining itself".
Khan has tagged Sharif's plan to travel to Lahore with a cavalcade on GT Road as a "deliberate attempt to undermine the Supreme Court" by calling into question its verdict in the Panama Papers case.
Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court on July 28, for not disclosing his un-withdrawn receivables from his son's company.
(with inputs from ANI)