LAHORE, July 11: The Supreme Court’s Thursday verdict upholding the government’s order that candidates to national and provincial assemblies should at least be graduates has created serious problems for many political parties and now they will have to bring new leaders against many offices and review the provisional lists of their candidates.

Since the district office-bearers of a party are also supposed to be graduates, parties will have to replace many of their non-graduate leaders to be able to qualify to take part in the elections.

An organizational crisis has been created for various parties and many heads would roll after the apex court’s decision, an office-bearer of an important party said on the condition on anonymity.

He said it would not be easy for any political party to find graduates both for candidates to assembly seats as well as to fill party offices.

The PML-N is now thinking of finding a new president to replace Mian Nawaz Sharif who, according to the Supreme Court judgment, cannot lead the party any more.

Syed Zafar Ali Shah, a central leader of the party, told Dawnthat the party would have to meet the requirements of the law of the land, no matter how mala fide it was, to be able to contest the elections.

He said in the present circumstances, Mian Shahbaz Sharif could be considered for the office of president as he was fully qualified to lead it.

Party’s acting president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi is in NAB custody on corruption charges and there is little possibility of his being able to lead the party or contest the election.

Top party leaders have started finding someone to head the party at this difficult juncture. The effective control of the party will, however, remain with the deposed prime minister, though indirectly.

Party’s central Secretary-General Saranjaam Khan will also have to go as also Punjab president Sirdar Zulfikar Khosa. The tiny Pakistan Democratic Party, of which veteran Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan is the president, has also been worst hit by the apex court’s decision. Now the senior leader cannot head his party nor contest the election.

According to experts, the Nawazbada will be disqualified to head the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy, in case a decision is taken to convert into an electoral alliance.

PPP leaders say that there is no move to convert the ARD into an election alliance.

The Nawabzada said that the ARD would stay intact and continue its struggle. He said that the ARD reflected the collective thinking of the nation.

The fate of Punjab PPP President Qasim Zia also hangs in the balance. He has appeared for the BA examination but so far it is not clear whether he will get his result card by the deadline.

The PML-QA has also been adversely affected by the decision. Gohar Ayub Khan has already resigned as party’s central secretary-general because he is not a graduate.

Senior leader Mian Meraj Din also stands disqualified.