NewsTuesday, March 11, 2008
PM race narrows to two candidates
* Nawaz wants strong prime minister to implement coalition’s agenda
By Zulfiqar GhumanISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari wants to become prime minister and until the ground is paved for him he would nominate a trustee for the interim period, sources in the PPP told Daily Times on Monday. The sources said a majority of the PPP National Assembly (NA) members-elect (MNAs-elect) in their meetings with Zardari had suggested that he should himself become the prime minister. “The prime minister has to be a person who can outsmart and outshine other political personalities in the country,” the PPP MNAs-elect told Daily Times in background discussions. Nawaz on Fahim: The possibility of Amin Fahim becoming prime minister has been ruled out, particularly after Nawaz Sharif’s between-the-line message to the PPP that he expected the nominee for premiership should be strong enough to implement the agenda of the coalition. In this scenario, only two aspirants are left in the field for the interim period if Zardari finally decides to become prime minister. They are: Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, if the choice has to be from the Punjab. Aftab Shabaan Mirani is yet another candidate. Though Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari wanted him to be the prime minister, he lost the election and his petition before the Election Commission for re-polling in a number of stations won’t be adjudged until much later. “The decision on nomination has to be taken within a week and in that case the choice is between Ahmad Mukhtar and Shah Mahmood,” a PPP source said. However, some insiders say that Zardari might spring a surprise by nominating a dark-horse like his sister, Dr Azra Fazal, who is an MNA-elect.
Courtesy Daily Times