After Sharif, who could be next Pak PM? Brother, ally among probables

Nawaz is the head of the ruling PMLN party and can choose his replacement

ISLAMABAD:Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted from the top office by the Supreme Court, but as the head of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party he will be able to nominate his successor.

As such, Sharif will oversee the nomination of his successor who will then be rubber stamped in a parliamentary vote, where his party and coalition partners command a 209-seat majority in the 342-seat house.

The opposition is also expected to field a candidate for the premiership, though the nominee has almost no chance of getting sufficient votes.

The vote will likely happen in a matter of days .

His daughter Maryam Nawaz is commonly touted as his heir, but she does not hold elected office so cannot be a candidate.

Pakistani politics often see dark horses emerge, but the most likely candidates for the country’s next prime minister are:

SHAHBAZ SHARIF

Media reports suggest the party will bring in an interim prime minister before electing Sharif’s younger brother Shahbaz Sharif.

He is currently chief minister of powerful Punjab province--the Sharif family stronghold. He would have to step down from that role and be elected to the National Assembly before he was eligible to become premier.

KHAWAJA MUHAMMAD ASIF

Defence minister Khawaja Asif is one of the most trusted allies of the outgoing prime minister and considered the mostly likely to succeed him.

The former banker has held a series of key positions within the PML-N since 1991.

He is viewed as a strong critic of the powerful military and commentators say that his hardline stance against the army has created problems for Sharif.

SARDAR AYAZ SADIQ

The speaker of the National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq is another strong candidate for next prime minister and is said to have the ear of the ruling Sharif family.

Sadiq gained Sharif’s trust after he defeated the PML-N leader’s main rival, cricketerturned-politician Imran Khan, in a hotly contested race for a Lahore seat in the 2013 general election.

SHAHID KHAQAN ABBASI

Pakistani media reports say businessman and petroleum minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is among those tipped to replace Sharif as prime minister.