Nomination papers for premiership filed

Pakistan

Nomination papers for premiership filed

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PPP nominated Makhdoom Shahbuddin and PML-N named Mahtab Khan for prime minister's post.

21 June,2012 12:29 pm

Makhdoom Shahabuddin on Thursday lodged his bid to be elected prime minister by parliament, in a move expected to end a power vacuum created by the dismissal of premier Yousaf Raza Gilani.President Asif Ali Zardari nominated Shahabuddin, the textile minister, to form a new cabinet after the Supreme Court dismissed Gilani for contempt on Tuesday.A consensus choice and a loyalist, Shahabuddin was briefly finance minister during the 1993-1996 premiership of Benazir Bhutto.His nomination was announced after more than 24 hours of crisis talks and intense horse trading between President Zardari and members of his fractious ruling coalition.In brief remarks outside the national assembly, Shahabuddin showcased his loyalty by thanking Asif Ali Zardari and extending greetings to members of the main ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on the birthday Benazir Bhutto.I am thankful from the bottom of my heart (to Zardari), he told reporters.Today is a special day because it is Benazir Bhuttos birthday and I send my congratulations on this birthday to all party workers, he added.PPP cover candidates, Raja Pervez Ashraf and Qamar Zaman Kaira, also lodged their nomination papers and the National Assembly will now meet on Friday to elect the new prime minister.Maulana Fazlur Rehman from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam submitted his candidacy papers.On the hand, Pakistan Muslim League (N) - the main opposition party - filed nomination papers of Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan as candidate for premiers slot.Mahtabn Khan is former chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and an MP from from Abbottabad city.Yousuf Raza Gilani, who became prime minister after the PPP won elections in 2008 ending nearly a decade of military rule, was dismissed after being convicted of contempt for refusing to ask Swiss authorities to reopen corruption cases against Zardari.The new premier will immediately face the same demands to write to the Swiss, so analysts say Zardari was only willing to countenance a loyalist and someone from the powerful Punjab province who can complement his own base in the south.