The PML-N president and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has summoned a meeting of his party's newly nominated Central Executive Committee (CEC) in Islamabad today. The 27 member CEC headed by Nawaz Sharif himself, has been formed as the party's apex decision-making body, after its 109 member Central Working Committee (CWC).
According to Federal Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal, CEC's first meeting had been convened by Nawaz Sharif to discuss the political situation in the country in the aftermath of the sit-ins by religious groups over the issue of a change in the Khatam-e-Nabuwat declaration for electoral candidates. The party leaders will discuss a future strategy on the implementation of the points agreed by the federal and Punjab governments in agreements with the protesters, he added.
Today's meeting, which will take place at the Punjab House in Islamabad around noon, is expected to be attended by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar, and other senior party leaders.
The CEC also includes Nawaz's daughter, Maryam, who has been given an official position in the party for the first time and her rival for party's next generation leadership, Punjab Chief Minister's Son and MNA, Hamza Shahbaz. Other top-tier party leaders in the CEC include: Senator Raja Zafarul Haq, Senator Pervez Rasheed, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, Interior and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, State Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Railways Minister Saad Rafique, Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman, Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider, Federal Minister Birjees Tahir, premier's aviation adviser Mehtab Khan Abbasi, Begum Ishrat Ashraf, Federal Minister Mushahidullah Khan, Amir Muqam, Babu Sarfaraz Khan Jatoi, Asad Khan Junejo, Irfan Siddiqui, Chaudhry Sher Ali and Senator Asif Kirmani.
Former finance minister and father-in-law of Nawaz's younger daughter Ishaq Dar is also a part of the CEC but will not be attending the meeting owing to his ongoing medical treatment in London.