ISLAMABAD, Aug 2: The Central Working Committee of the PML (Nawaz) on Friday reposed confidence in the leadership of exiled party chief Nawaz Sharif and recommended his name for the post of president in the intra-party polls on Saturday (today).

Raja Zafarul Haq briefing newsmen said an election authority was formed under the chairmanship of Sartaj Aziz to supervise the party elections.

When asked whether electing Nawaz Sharif would not disqualify the party for registration with the Election Commission of Pakistan, he said: “In my view, there should be no moral or legal bottleneck in the way of registration because of this decision”.

In reply to another question that whether it was not against the democratic norms to keep party presidentship within the family instead of leaving it to the working committee to decide, Raja said: “Democratic norms are that one who wields majority support will become the leader”.

The central body meeting, president over by Raja Zafarul Haq, discussed and approved about draft 12 amendments in the Constitution, which will be put before the central general council on Saturday for approval.

The committee also pledged to continuously seek guidance from Nawaz Sharif and to accept and abide by his decision and directives whole heartedly.

Through a resolution, the party resented police violence on the peaceful citizens of federal capital during which five people were killed and many injured. It termed it state terrorism on the civilians, including the protesting teachers in Punjab.

The participants also demanded immediate restoration of the civil constitutional order in the country, keeping in view the alleged failures of the present government on all national issues including hiking prices of power, gas, POL products and maintenance of law and order.

The working committee through another resolution expressed its anguish over the military government’s policy shifts on the Kashmir issue which, it said, was of the basic significance for Pakistan.

The committee also said the role of the army in the country should be strictly the one which was defined by founder of the nation Quaid-i-Azam who had said the armed forces were for safeguarding the national frontiers and diverting them to any other function would be detrimental to the nation.

The party, referring to the draft constitutional packages, said that it was a deliberate effort to distort the 1973 Constitution and steer the country towards the presidential system which was rejected by the nation.

In reply to a question about the status of the Election Commission and chief election commissioner, party chairman said: “We agree with the stand taken by the ARD that the commission should be independent of administrative influence and chief election commissioner must be neutral.”

But some insiders have told Dawn that last decision about replacement/nomination of Nawaz Sharif rests with the Sharifs who likely to be communicated or might have conveyed to the leaders concerned during today’s meeting as Nawaz Sharif had talked by phone to many party confidants including Raja Zafarul Haq.

PML(N) general council, scheduled to meet here on Saturday, may elect almost all the office-bearers unopposed.