Lahore, Feb. 25 : Former premier Nawaz Sharif has linked his party’s cooperation with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) for a national coalition government to the withdrawal of the ban on the third time premiership, sources have said.

According to the Daily Times, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would seek a guarantee before cooperating with the PPP.

The sources said the PML-N would also try to woo the Awami National Party (ANP) and other parties that the bar on third time premiership should be withdrawn at the earliest.

A PML-Q leader, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the party would oppose any amendment preventing Sharif from contesting for the premiership for a third time.

Twice-elected former premier Nawaz can become a prime minister for the third time only with prior consent of the president through a bill passed by parliament with a simple majority.

“It does not require the two-thirds majority to allow him to become a prime minister for the third time,” the PML-Q leader said.

He said Nawaz had been disqualified from becoming the prime minister for the third term through the Qualification to Hold Public Offices Order, 2002, of the Chief Executive’s Order Number 19 of 2002, which had been made part of the Sixth Schedule under the 17th Amendment to the Constitution in 2004.

He said parliament could not undo the restriction even with a two-thirds majority if the president did not consent to it. (ANI)