PTI decides to challenge Maryam Nawaz’s appointment as PML-N vice-president

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to challenge Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz’s appointment as vice-president.

According to sources, the PTI leadership has reservations against Maryam’s appointment and will challenge the decision in a court.

Sources further said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has questioned how a person, who has been sentenced by a court, can be appointed as vice-president. 

Qureshi is said to have further said that, Maryam has been granted temporary relief and that her sentence has not been commuted, sources added.

The foreign minister is said to have started consultations with lawyers and other party leaders. Qureshi is also said to have been thinking of approaching the Election Commission of Pakistan regarding Maryam’s appointment, sources further said.

In a major party reshuffle last week, Maryam was made one of the 16 vice-presidents of the party along with Hamza Shehbaz. Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was appointed as senior vice president of PML-N, while Ahsan Iqbal was made general secretary. 

Marriyum Aurangzeb was retained as secretary information and the party's spokesperson, while former finance minister Ishaq Dar has been made president of the party's International Affairs Committee.