ISLAMABAD: Chief Minister Punjab and President Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif strongly defended his elder brother and the quaid of his party Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, who has been disqualified for life in a verdict by the Supreme Court of Pakistan here on Friday.

Shehbaz Sharif in a statement issued here on Friday said: “Today is a day of test for the nation when a judicial decision has barred a popular national leader from serving the county who made it a nuclear power and who has the distinct honor of being elected Prime Minister thrice”.

He said that Nawaz Sharif is not the name of a person. Rather he represents a philosophy and an ideology of public service, supremacy of constitution and respect of vote.

“A leader like him does not need any formal office to continue guiding his party and serving his people”, he added.

The chief minister Punjab said: “We have always believed in the supremacy of law and the neutrality of its arbiters. Despite the judicial verdict, PML-N will continue to be the largest political party of the country under the guidance of Nawaz Sharif”.

A five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, announced the reserved verdict in the cases involving interpretation, determination of the question of temporary or permanent bar on the parliamentarians to contest elections.

The apex court ruled that disqualification of lawmakers under Article 62(1) (f) of the Constitution disqualification is permanent. Thus, Nawaz Sharif and, Jahangir Khan Tareen were also disqualified under the same provision of the constitution.