Dirty politics with Dirty Harry

 Nawaz Sharif is not quitting politics: On Wednesday, Maryam Nawaz, the chief organizer of the Pakistan Muslim League and the party's nominee for chief minister of Punjab, denied rumors that he was going to step down as prime minister to make room for his younger brother, Shehbaz Sharif. Taking to social media, Maryam declared that there was no truth to the rumors circulating that her father, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, was avoiding politics by declining the position of prime minister. Maryam declared that Nawaz Sharif will not only be actively involved in politics over the next five years, but he would also use his power and support both federal and provincial governments. highlighting the three distinct mandates issued by the people

 Who is the nominee for Pakistan's Punjab Chief Minister, Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of Nawaz Sharif? The head of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif, who was tipped to become Pakistan's next prime minister, nominated his brother Shehbaz Sharif for the position on Wednesday. In addition, he put forth Maryam Nawaz, his daughter and the senior vice president of the party, for the position of Punjab Chief Minister. Maryam will hold the position of Chief Minister for the first time. This comes after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed independent candidate Dr. Yasmin Rashid received over 113,000 votes, while PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif secured over 172,000 votes to win the NA-130 seat in the recently held general elections. In their stronghold, Nawaz and three of his family members were able to win.

  Imran Khan Party Will Oppose Pakistani Elections, Suggests Prime Minister (Source: Bloomberg) In addition to announcing a prime minister candidate, Imran Khan's party promised to stage rallies against alleged vote-rigging in last week's polls as it attempts to establish a coalition government following Pakistan's inconclusive election. Bloomberg's Most Read According to Gohar Ali Khan, the temporary chairman of the party, Omar Ayub Khan, the grandson of the military ruler who served as Pakistan's second president, was selected by the imprisoned former premier's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, as its candidate for prime minister. On Saturday, it announced nationwide protests and requested a recount in roughly half of the seats it lost. Following the announcement by a rival party that it will join a coalition government, PTI is attempting to retaliate.

  With Pakistan’s most popular politician in jail and cynicism running high, can a new leader unite the country? Pakistanis headed to the polls on Thursday to elect a new parliament and prime minister at a time of renewed political turbulence in the country. The country’s popular former leader, Imran Khan, has been sentenced three separate times in recent weeks to lengthy jail terms. The timing before this week’s election is intended to send a message: the military wants him out of politics using a judicial pathway. The military, which has directly and indirectly controlled Pakistan’s politics for seven decades, appears determined to reopen the political space for two other parties in the lead-up to the vote. These are the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, led by three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, and the Pakistan People’s Party, led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of former president Asif Ali Zardari and assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. S...