World | Pakistan
Pakistan parties defer decision on prime minister
Name won't be announced till parliament convenes as Zardari works on 'back up plan' with Musharraf allies.
- By Ashfaq Ahmed, Chief Reporter
- Published: 01:13 February 24, 2008
- Image Credit: EPA
- Asif Ali Zardari (right), co-chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party and senior vice president Makhdoom Ameen Fahim attend the meeting of party's central executive committe in Islamabad.
Dubai: The name of Pakistan's new prime minister may not be announced until the new parliament convenes for its inaugural session in the first week of March, Gulf News has learnt.
While the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) vice-chairman Makhdoom Ameen Fahim has been tipped as favourite for the post, the name of Shah Mehmoud Qureshi, PPP president in Punjab, is reportedly also under consideration.
"The next two days are very important and the decision on the parliamentary leader hasn't yet been finalised," a PPP leader told Gulf News from Islamabad.
The issues of impeaching the president and the restoration of sacked Supreme Court judges have taken a back seat, party officials said, as hectic efforts are still on from President Pervez Musharraf's camp asking Benazir Bhutto's widower Asif Ali Zardari to join hands with the PML-Q party.
"There have already been two rounds of talks between them and the third round is expected within days," the party leader said, adding that the "game is still wide open".
According to media reports, foreign diplomats, including the US and UK ambassadors, have also been actively lobbying to bring together a coalition government that would not threaten Musharraf.
Push for co-existence
The envoys have already met PPP co-chairman Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and reportedly asked them to co-exist with Musharraf instead of making plans to remove him.
Although both Zardari and Sharif have said they will work to restore democracy, sources in Islamabad said that Zardari is also working on a "back up" plan to muster support of other political parties and independent candidates for he fears a confrontation with Sharif on the issue of restoration of sacked judges and removing Musharraf.
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