Back-to-back PML-N consultative meetings on Thursday held at Shahbaz Sharif's Donga Gali residence apparently concluded without the party agreeing on a candidate to contest the NA-120 by-poll ─ a seat left vacant by ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, earlier proposed as a successor to his brother, Nawaz, was expected to contest the NA-120 by-poll in order to acquire membership of the National Assembly, and then go on to become prime minister.

However, recent reports suggest the party is reevaluating its strategy amid fears that the PML-N's focus will be diverted from the crucial province of Punjab ─ the home of the party's electoral base ─ if Shahbaz leaves the post of chief minister.

The Punjab government has admitted to the debate over the chief minister’s elevation. "Some party leaders think Punjab is very important for the PML-N and Shahbaz Sharif should continue serving here, while others want to see him as premier," the Punjab government’s spokesperson Malik Ahmad told Dawn.

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Shahbaz, incumbent Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Nawaz held a three-hour-long meeting, but no major decision was reportedly taken in this regard.

The first meeting was followed by an informal meeting which party leaders, including Pervez Rashid, Musaddiq Malik, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Marriyum Aurangzeb, attended.

The meetings discussed whether or not Shahbaz would contest the NA-120 by-poll and take over from Abbasi, or whether the latter would continue as prime minister until the 2018 General Election.

They also discussed who the members of the new prime minister's cabinet would be.

No announcements were made by the party following either of the meetings.

"Consultations are underway and the cabinet will hopefully take oath in one to two days," Abbasi had said while speaking to journalists in Murree on Wednesday.

When asked if the party had decided on a candidate for the upcoming by-election in Lahore, PM Abbasi had said that the issue came up for discussion, but added that there was still a lot of time for consultation on the matter.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that nomination papers for the NA-120 by-poll to be held on September 17 must be filed by August 12.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has decided on Yasmin Rashid as its candidate for the NA-120 contest.