Sanam Javaid to be opposition leader if Maryam Nawaz elected Punjab CM: sources

• PTI announces to sit on opposition benches in Centre, Punjab.
  
• Sources say Sanam Javaid to be elected on reserved seats.
• Name of Mian Aslam Iqbal comes up for chief minister slot.

Days after the Pakistan Tehkreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced to sit on opposition benches in the Centre and in Punjab, the party is mulling naming Sanam Javaid as its opposition leader in the province if Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) Maryam Nawaz is made province's chief minister, The News reported citing sources.

The development comes after PTI's Barrister Saif, during a press conference on Friday, announced forming the opposition in the Centre and Punjab where its sponsored candidates have won 96 and 116 seats, respectively.

Some elements within the PTI want to bring Javaid, a staunch party activist who's currently incarcerated over her alleged involvement in the May 9 riots, as opposition leader — on a reserved seat — in the country's largest province to "give a tough time" to the PML-N scion who has been nominated for the slot of chief minister after winning on the PP-159 Lahore-I seat.

Meanwhile, the name of former provincial minister Mian Aslam Iqbal has come up for the PTI’s chief ministerial candidate, the sources added.

Earlier this week, The News reported that Maryam had already been receiving briefings on various development-related and administrative matters in Punjab.

Javaid, who has been overtly critical of the PML-N leadership, was initially allowed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC), in response to an appeal filed against the election tribunal's verdict on her plea over the rejection of nomination papers, to contest the elections from NA-119, NA-120, and PP-125.

However, despite the relief from the apex court, the PTI activist withdrew her candidacy from NA-119 — where she was set to compete with Maryam for the National Assembly seat.

Earlier this week, the party had announced to join hands with Majlis-e-Wahdat-Muslimeen (MWM) to form its government in Punjab, however, owing to PML-N's majority, which has 138 seats in the province, the party later decided to sit on the opposition benches instead.