The ex-PM names his brother Shahbaz Sharif as successor, while also announcing an interim PM till the younger Sharif gets elected to parliament.

Pakistan’s ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has announced that his party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would challenge Pakistan Supreme Court’s judgement by filing a review petition. In his first public comments after his exit Mr. Sharif also named his brother, Shahbaz, as successor. Since it would take some time for Mr. Shahbaz Sharif to get elected to the National Assembly, Mr. Nawaz Sharif named Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as the interim Prime Minister. “Both of them have agreed to it,” Mr. Nawaz Sharif said adding he would continue to stay active in politics.

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The SC had, on Friday, barred Mr. Sharif from holding office for being dishonest to the parliament. Mr. Nawaz Sharif was forced to resign following the judgement.

The PML-N said since the issue of the Dubai-based company FZE, of which Mr. Sharif was the chairman, was not part of the petition. Hence, the court should to review its judgement, it said.

Mr. Sharif told a meeting of party legislators that his disqualification by the court was not due to corruption and that he had been paying taxes on his income. "My conscience is clear. I have not done any corruption. I have never gotten any kickbacks in my three tenures as prime minister," he told party legislators.

He said the Dubai company was set up by his son when the family was in exile, adding that he had never received any financial benefit from the company.

The former Prime Minister said he believed in the rule of law and Constitution but asked why Prime Ministers were never allowed to complete their terms in the 70 years. “Where is the country heading towards? People of Pakistan have to decide,” he asked.

"I was not holding any public office during the time when my son set up the company. This is a moment of concern for all. I have struggled for decades — faced jail, exile and convictions upto 27 years. I have faced worst. Prime Ministers in our country have faced gallows,” he said.

"I have made Pakistan a nuclear power. I was offered $5 billion not to conduct nuclear tests, but I refused. I have made relations better with our neighbors. But I was handcuffed for that. Whenever martial law is imposed in the country it was because of a handful of people, not by the entire military,” he added.

“Our 70-year history is regrettable, but I want to strive for better future of the country. If this practice of sending Prime Ministers home is not stopped the country can face problems. All the international publications wrote about the court decision,” the deposed Prime Minister said.

"I am standing tall and will defend the rule of law and constitution at any cost. I want support of people to work for the country. Whatever has been done to me, I am happy despite the fact that I have been ousted despite no proof of corruption. Today I am not Prime Minister anymore, but I will continue to strive for better future of Pakistan, ” he said. “Our destiny is not the way backwards. We are still struggling to find a direction, while many countries have gone ahead of us.”