The decision was taken at a meeting of coalition partners at the Presidency on Thursday evening to decide which of the nominees who had filed their nomination papers for the prime minister’s slot would be the prime candidate for the position after the initial candidate on which the coalition had decided upon, Makhdoom Shahbuddin, had warrants issued against him.
An Anti-Narcotics Force magistrate issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Shahabuddin's alleged involvement in the ephedrine case.
Senior PPP leader Khursheed Shah will announce the ruling coalition's nominee for the PM slot at 11am on Friday.
Those who were present in the meeting included Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Chaudhry Pervez Ilahi, Dr Farooq Sattar, Mir Israrullah Zehri, Afrasiab Khattak, Munir Khan Aurakzai, Babar Ghouri, Hameedullah Jan Afridi, Haider Abbas Rizvi, Senator Abbas Khan Afridi, Mohammad Jadim Mangrio and Syed Khursheed Shah. Vice Chairman PPP and former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani was also present.
Raja Parvez Ashraf finalised?
Sources told Express News that the name of Raja Pervez Ashraf for the prime minister's slot had been finalised in the coalition members meeting at the Presidency late on Thursday.
Some parliamentary members belonging to the PPP said that they did not agree with the choice of Ashraf as the premier.
They added that they were not happy with the way affairs had been handled after former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had been disqualified. They told Express News correspondent Waqar Satti that their reservations had been made known to senior party leader Khursheed Shah. They warned that unless their reservations were not paid heed to, they may not vote in favour of Ashraf, or may even choose to remain absent from the Friday evening Assembly session.
Earlier on Thursday, at least five members of the National Assembly filed their nomination papers to contest for the seat of prime minister.
Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Qamar Zaman Kaira and Raja Pervez Ashraf filed their nomination papers for the PPP.
In addition to these candidates, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PML-N’s Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan Abbasi have also filed their nomination papers.
COMMENTS (14)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
The current drama was triggered by current CJP when he declared the NRO of ex-President which was not objected to by then sitting CJP unconstitutional. Why should he be allowed to do that? Many self-exiled political leaders returned o Pakistan to participate in 2008 general election only because of protection the NRO provided. In this situation, Justice Chaudhry declaring it as unconstitutional is in itself an unconstitutional act. All Pakistanis should understand this & 'persusde' their CJP to recall his unconstitutional ruling & recall PM Gilani to save their democracy.
I have come to the conclusion that the real culprits (besides the PPP) are the Coalition Partners!
There is absolutely no justification for the coalition partners (PML-Q, MQM, ANP, and any other party) to standby and support the PPP in electing another PM and allowing PPP to continue ridiculing the Supreme Court. There is no justification for coalition partners to allow the nation to lose another 8 - 10 months of precious time, energy, and resources towards nation building instead of this dehumanizing tragedy of corruption and plunder.
I am extremely disappointed and now firmly believe that the coalition parties are the real culprits - they DO NOT have Pakistan's best interests in mind.
I urge/request the people of Pakistan (specifically the members/followers/workers of the coalition parties) to be OBJECTIVE! and, raise their voices in their respective parties and ask their leadership why they continue to support this government? Why is this government being allowed to completely destroy the very fabric of our Pakistani existence?
@Raheem Bukhsh: There are 3 political parties, ruled the country turn by turn......!!!!
1: PPP+allies 2: PML+allies 3: Pak army
Choice is limited . .???
qualities President looking for in PM 'Yes Men.. Brainless (literally) Yes Men and must also Look like a fool... Hence maulana diesel... Raja Rental.. in the running
Gang of looters are ready for the next round of loot and plunder .wat a shame
@Shahid Kinnare Can u give us 2 reasons to vote for them? We have a thousad for not voting them. This coalition is a market of Soul and character. Where everybody is selling to the highest bidder and that is Zardari unfortunately. These people have no soul they are just corrupt money making machines ready to do everything for the sake of it. Disgusting.
Shame on PPP, MQM, Maulana Diesel and ANP...looting to continue...
It is amazing that the protectors of OBL and killers of BB and ZAB are safe. However, the PM can be dismissed on the contempt charges and the next for allowing the import of a drug more than the quota. I would like to see non-bailable warrants and execution of cold blooded murderers like Qadri. However, such people are showered with rose petals by the lawyers and besides Namaz Janaza of OBL.
What shame that a handful of corrupt and inept people will decide the fate of 188 million people.....just mindboggling
I feel bad when I see that these guys are busy in looting our country.Why are we are so weak that we can't even stop them from destroying Pakistan.The coalition partners have reposed their confidence in PPP just for their own interests.Do they think that they won't be answerable to the ALLAH?
I will still vote for PPP.
Faith in corruption
The coalition partners have reposed their confidence in PPP again to protect their own interests whereas people of Pakistan have lost faith in Pakistan People's Party, after it could not deliver for the common what PPP was suppose to do for the benefit of a common man.
Hope, the PPP may take wise decision now..