“Pakistan Muslim League (PML) feels more comfortable with PML-Nawaz than Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). Our top leaders want to see Sharif as the prime minister in case our party does badly in the upcoming general elections,” the Dawn quoted the ruling party sources as saying here.
In fact, the acrimony with the PPP is so deep that some of PML’s senior leaders are absolutely upbeat after the Supreme Court’s recent verdict, allowing Sharif and his brother Shahbaz to return to Pakistan after seven years in “forced” exile.
“Our leadership feels the long absence of the Sharif brothers from the country and our own performance in the last few years will give the PML-N an edge in the general elections slated for later this year,” the unnamed party sources were quoted as saying.

Prez polls in Mid-september
Islamabad, PTI:  The presidential polls in Pakistan would be held in mid-September instead of October, the country’s top lawyer has said.
“The presidential elections would take place around September 15 and would not be delayed till October,” Attorney General Malik M Qayyum told media here.
Announcement of the schedule of the presidential polls — to be held before the general elections slated for later this year — would be announced ten days before the polling day in mid-September, he said.
Qayyum’s statement came in the wake of media reports that President Pervez Musharraf has been facing mounting political pressure over his plans to seek re-election in uniform, particularly after the recent Supreme Court verdict.
Sharif has also vowed to return to take part in the general elections — a move, which according to political observers, could affect Musharraf’s re-election plan from the present assemblies.
Even former self-exiled prime minister, who had reportedly entered into a political deal with Musharraf recently, has been opposing the military ruler’s plans to seek re-election in uniform.
The Attorney General, however, denied that it was his idea to advance the presidential polls.