Leader of the house polls: Despite MQM’s support, PM may not be unanimous choice

PTI has decided to field Javed Hashmi to contest elections against Nawaz.

ISLAMABAD:

Despite winning the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) unconditional support, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz will find it hard to install Nawaz Sharif as the unopposed leader of the house.

The National Assembly’s third largest party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, (PTI) is determined to contest the election and will put up its nominee against Nawaz.

The first runner-up in the May 11 election, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), had decided to back Nawaz as the unopposed leader of the house and prime minister. In the beginning MQM, like the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, announced that it would field its own candidates for the June 5 elections in the lower house.

But then on Monday the MQM chief had a change of heart, and decided to endorse Nawaz as the prime minister.

Altaf said due to the critical situation in the country and the challenges faced by the new government, he wished to support Nawaz as a goodwill gesture.



However, having gained the support of one of the opposition parties, the other group, PTI, has nominated party stalwart Makhdoom Javed Hashmi to contest elections in the lower house against Nawaz.

“We had already nominated Javed Hashmi for the slot and his nomination papers will be submitted on Tuesday,” said party spokesperson Shireen Mazari.

She said her party has not changed its stance and would field its own candidate even after MQM’s move to support Nawaz. Nobody from the PML-N has approached PTI in this regard, she added.

President Asif Ali Zardari in a panel interview on Sunday also expressed his desire to elect Sharif as a unanimous prime minister as his party had elected former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani in 2008. However, the PPP’s parliamentary party has not yet finalised their decision to support Nawaz or bring in its own candidate. Yet, the latest development shows that it is likely that the former ruling party will vote for Nawaz Sharif.

Apart from PTI and Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, all other parties will vote for Nawaz Sharif as they did for the PML-N speaker and deputy speaker elections.

“I will give my single vote to Javed Hashmi and I don’t think that there is a chance to elect Nawaz Sharif as a unanimous prime minister,” said Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.

PML-N leaders could not be reached for comment.

The last day for submitting nomination papers for the candidates of the leader of the house is today.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2013.