ISLAMABAD, Nov 2: The exiled leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), Mian Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif, have appointed their closest comrade and an MNA-elect, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, as acting parliamentary leader of the party in the absence of Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, who is behind the bars.

Party sources said the Sharifs had appointed Mr Hashmi as the party parliamentary leader of the PML-N in the National Assembly after consultations with other party leaders and Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan as deputy parliamentary leader.

Begum Tehmina Daultana has been appointed as secretary of the PML-N parliamentary party while Chaudhry Nisar will act in place of Javed Hashmi until he is released.

In the meanwhile, the PML-N has awarded party tickets to Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Prof Sajid Mir, chief of the Jamiat Ahl-i-Hadis, to contest for the Senate seats from Punjab.

A committee, comprising PML-N Secretary-General Saranjam Khan; NWFP chief of the party, Pir Sabir Shah; former chief minister Sardar Mahtab Ahmed Khan; provincial Secretary-General Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and MPA-elect Anwar Kamal Marwat will decide on allocation of tickets for the Senate from the NWFP.