Uncertainty ends: Acting president accepts Punjab governor’s resignation

PML-N will prefer a person from South Punjab to replace Makhdoom Mahmood.

ISLAMABAD:

Acting President Nayyar Hussain Bukhari has accepted the resignation of Punjab governor Makhdoom Syed Ahmed Mahmood on the advice of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Mahmood had resigned immediately after the Pakistan Peoples Party’s crushing defeat in the May 11 general elections. However, President Asif Ali Zardari had asked him to continue till a new governor was appointed.

The tenure of President Zardari is also about to expire within the next two months. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced the schedule for the presidential elections that will be held on August 6th.

Sources in the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said that the party would prefer a person from South Punjab as new governor.

According to an official handout, the president has asked the Punjab Assembly speaker to perform the functions of the governor till the new governor is appointed.

“The Punjab governor had tendered his resignation in May which was sent to the cabinet division, after the approval of the President, for further processing in June 2013,” the office of the president said.



Sources tip Rajwana

Sources in the PML-N said that various names were under consideration but since the office of chief minister has already gone to central Punjab the party will pick up someone from south Punjab for the governor’s slot.

PML-N sources said though Zulfiqar Khosa would have been the choice, the Khosa family once considered very close to PML-N top leadership has recently developed differences with the Sharif brothers. Zuliqar Khosa’s son Saif Khosa joined PPP and contested the general elections from PPP platform.

Sources said if it were not Zulifqar Khosa for governor’s slot another name under discussion within the party for the job was Senator Malik Muhammad Rafique Rajwana from Multan.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 17^th, 2013.