Know your prime minister aspirants

Race for top slot heats up, with five candidates vying for post of prime minister.

ISLAMABAD:


Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan


Declared assets: Rs16.7 million

Political career: Former chief minister
of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa from 1997 to 1999; federal minister for railways in 2008. Also served as a senator from March 2003, but resigned in 2008 when he won the NA-17 seat in the 2008 general elections.

Controversy: Reportedly involved in a wheat scandal case. He remained in Attock Fort jail for three years.

Makhdoom Shahabuddin

Declared assets: Rs127.5 million

Political career: Contested his first election from NA-148 in 1988 on a PML ticket, losing to his uncle who contested on a PPP ticket. Recently elected chairman of the southern Punjab chapter of the PPP. Part of PPP’s central executive committee.

Controversy: Alleged to have issued unauthorised quota for the import of ephedrine as health minister. Anti-Narcotics Force issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him, hours after he was nominated by the PPP as the next premier.

Raja Pervez Ashraf


Declared assets: Rs62million

Political career: Elected twice from NA-51, Gujjar Khan. Appointed federal minister for water and power after the 2008 elections. Was again appointed a minister in the recently-dissolved cabinet.

Controversy: Faces corruption allegation for receiving kickbacks in rental power projects and buying properties in London. The Supreme Court also directed NAB to take action against Ashraf for his alleged involvement in rental power case.

Qamar Zaman Kaira 

Declared assets: Rs57 million

Political career: Contested elections from NA-106, served as information minister twice – between 2009 and 2011, and in the recent Cabinet that was disqualified by the Supreme Court. Also served as minister for Kashmir affairs and Northern Areas, and acting Governor of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Controversy: None.

Maulana Fazlur Rahman

Declared assets: Rs5 million

Political career: Chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, a right-wing politician and cleric, and currently serving as the president of the Assembly of Islamic Clerics. Contested, and won, his first election from NA-18 in 1988. Lost in 1990 and 1997.

Controversy: Allegedly possess military land measuring up to 600 kanals in DI Khan. Allegedly won out-of-turn tenders for diesel supplies in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in second Benazir government.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 22nd, 2012.
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