Bilawal to announce PM nominee

[mujahideen]

Bilawal to announce PM nominee

OUR STAFF REPORTER

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan People’s Party spokesman Farhatullah Babar Wednesday said that no announcement of the candidate for the slot of prime minister is expected before convening of the National Assembly for electing the prime minister.
Referring to media reports about the name of PPP candidate for the office of premiership, timing and mode of its announcement, he said that all reports are based on speculation and there is no truth in them.
“The party will announce the name of its candidate after the announcement of the date of National Assembly session for the election of prime minister and the party’s Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will announce the name of PPP’s candidate for the slot of premiership at the right time,” he added.
Agencies add: “Bilawal will announce the name of the prime minister. He has come to Pakistan, he is in Karachi,” party spokesman Farhatullah Babar told AFP.
“The name of the prime minister will be announced when the (parliament) is reconvened for the election of the prime minister,” which is expected next week, the spokesman said.
Bilawal earlier travelled to the mausoleum at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh where Benazir Bhutto was buried and paid his respects, accompanied by his sister Bakhtawar and aunt Sanam Bhutto, witnesses said.
At the tomb in the village of Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, at least 5,000 people gathered to see him and chanted slogans including: ‘O God, Benazir is innocent’ and ‘Benazir is alive in the face of Bilawal’.
Bilawal later travelled to the Bhutto ancestral home in the nearby town of Naudero. He is expected to leave for Islamabad on Thursday (today), Babar said.
Meanwhile, PPP leader Nabeel Gabol said the name of the next premier has been decided, which would be announced after the elections of Speaker and Deputy Speaker. Talking to a private TV channel, he said Makhdoom Amin Fahim is senior leader of PPP and he would keep the party together.
Gabol said the next Prime Minister of the country would be a consensus candidate of all the coalition partners.

The Nation

 

[mujahideen]

Rumors of interim PM immature: Gillani

ISLAMABAD, Mar 19 (APP): Senior vice president of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Sayed Yousuf Raza Gillani on Wednesday termed the rumors of interim Prime Minister immature and said their party would nominate the candidate after building consensus within its ranks.

“We have not decided a candidate yet, so how did the people assume that next prime minister would be for an interim period,” he told reporters.

He said none of the PPP leaders would quit the party over issue of PM or any other slot.

“Uncles of Mohtarma Benazir had left party after Zulifiqar Ali Bhutto was hanged but uncles of Bilawal will not leave party after assassination of Benazir,” he remarked.

Gillani said he was not in the run for the premiership and believed in serving masses irrespective of any portfolio. He said PPP believes in strengthening of the democratic institutions instead of individuals.

Associated Press Of Pakistan - Rumors of interim PM immature: Gillani

 

[mujahideen]

Bilawal arrives to name new PM

By our correspondent

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will announce the party nominee for the prime minister by next week.

According to party sources, he is likely to reach Islamabad on Thursday and will start consultations within the party for selecting party nominee. PPP hopeful Makhdoom Amin Fahim is also expected to meet Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in the next two days to take up the issue of his candidature for the prime minister.

Sources said Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani is the top contender despite his denial about his nomination for the post. However, PPP spokesperson Farhatullah Babar has said no announcement of the prime ministerial candidate is expected before the National Assembly is reconvened for the purpose.

Referring to media reports about the PPP candidate for the prime minister and the timing and mode of its announcement, he said in a statement today "All such reports are merely speculation".

He said the party would announce the name of its candidate after the announcement of the date when the National Assembly would be reconvened for the purpose of electing the prime minister, he said. "Party's Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will announce the name of the party's candidate at the right time," he added.

APP adds: Earlier, Bilawal Bhutto drove to Garhi Khuda Bux after arriving in Sukkur by air from Karachi. He offered Fateha at the grave of Benazir Bhutto and laid wreath. Bilawal was accompanied by his aunt Sanam Bhutto, Dr Zulfiqar Mirza and Agha Siraj Durrani.

Meanwhile, Central Information Secretary Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday said unanimous candidate of coalition partners for the slot of prime ministership would be disclosed after the announcement of date to summon the National Assembly for PM election and 24 hours prior to commencement of the session.

Talking to a private television programme late at night, he said under a strategy the coalition partners had decided not to disclose any such thing before the time aimed at avoiding conspiracies of opponent parties.

He expressed serious concerns over not announcing the dates for summoning of the sessions of provincial assemblies even after one month of the general elections. Ahsan Iqbal said it has been cleared in the Bhurban Accord that prime minister would be from PPP and the party is in consultation process and it would announce the name of joint candidate at any appropriate time.

Bilawal arrives to name new PM

 

[Spartan King]

Im my point of view,

This is all B.S! You see, I'm not going to say that PPP is confused or anything, their just showing us how their going to make the nation wait like this through the next five years.....I mean, if they cant tell the nation who is goin to lead them for the next 5 years, how are they going to solve our problems and answer our inquiries once everything is set?

Bilawal Bhutto or anybody else, PPP is just demonstrating how messed up they are.

like one of their member said, "let it be a mystery" ....I MEAN WTF? your going to run a country for the next 5 years and your tellin your nation that let it be a mystery! this is just unacceptable.

 

[baqai]

and they want the announcement to be on 23rd march to make it more symbolic, prime minister of a nation will be announced by a kid and i thought bush being president was the weirdest thing ever

 

[Interceptor]

Im my point of view,

This is all B.S! You see, I'm not going to say that PPP is confused or anything, their just showing us how their going to make the nation wait like this through the next five years.....I mean, if they cant tell the nation who is goin to lead them for the next 5 years, how are they going to solve our problems and answer our inquiries once everything is set?

Bilawal Bhutto or anybody else, PPP is just demonstrating how messed up they are.

like one of their member said, "let it be a mystery" ....I MEAN WTF? your going to run a country for the next 5 years and your tellin your nation that let it be a mystery! this is just unacceptable.

The establishment may blockade the PPP PM, and why cant you wait little longer Musharraf has annouced he will allow PM elections on 24th of March 4 days from now BTW the PPP isn't going to run the country alone but is a coalition partner with ANP and PML-N. Its Musharrafs fault look the election happend on the 18th of Feb and the constitution says all power must appointed to the new Government with in 14 days and what he has done has delayed this proccess itself shame on Musharraf.

 

[mujahideen]

^^^^Well may be if this so called coaltion had been more organized and knew what they were doing may Parliament would of been called quicker. But its funny the PPP is talking about the Constitution. They wanted Benazir to be the Prime Minister for the third time which in itself is against the constitution. But forget what has happened the task ahead is one we should all focus on. the task ahead will require all of us to work together regardless of our personal opinions and our political associations. Lets forget the past and look at the future, what is done is done nothing will be gained. We focus on the past too much and I am guilty of doing this, lets look at the past and learn from it so that we may clear up our mistakes.

 

[mujahideen]

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari arrives in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Chairman OF Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has arrived in Islamabad.

It is said that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari may announced the PPP nominee for the slot of Prime Minister. He will stay in Islamabad for two days.

Earlier, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited the grave of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in Ghari Khuda Bux.

He laid a wreath and offered ‘Fateha’. He also laid wreaths at the grave of founder of PPP Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Mir Murtaza Bhutto and offered Fateha.

Bilawal met with the people and district office bearers of PPP Naudero at the Bhutto House.

He said that the party would be run in accordance with the will and principles of late Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

The PPP Chairman called for organizing and strengthening the party at the grassroots level.

He said that the incoming government is an “Awami” (peoples) one and would tackle the problems of unemployment, price hike and lawlessness.

The PPP Chairman was presented with the traditional gift of Ajrak and was also apprised of the problems of the people.

He assured that the new government would help resolve the problems of the people on priority basis.

Later, Bilawal left Naudero for Sukkur Airport on way to Karachi from where he will take a connecting flight to Islamabad.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari arrives in Islamabad

 

[mujahideen]

Bilawal to give final approval of PM candidate: Jahangir Badar

ISLAMABAD, Mar 20 (APP): General Secretary of Pakistan Peoples Party Jahangir Badar has said that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in his capacity as party chairman will give the final approval of PM candidate, a private channel television reported.

It was however not necessary that Bilawal himself should announce the candidate, Jahangir Badar told the channel.

Badar said premiership candidate would be finalized before the next National Assembly session.

He dismissed statement of PML (Q) President Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain against the PPP and PML-N leadership and said the Chaudhary brothers were in the habit of making such outbursts and the masses were aware of the hollowness of their claims.

Jahangir Badar said that PPP’s struggle and sacrifices for democracy were not hidden from anyone. He said the Bhutto family has a glorious record of sacrifices.

The fact is that Ch. Brothers during their tenure in government victimized their political opponents and now they were issuing baseless statements that merited no response, he said.

He said the people of the country were the best judge and they had been watching who struggled for democracy and who acted otherwise.

Associated Press Of Pakistan - Bilawal to give final approval of PM candidate: Jahangir Badar

 

[mujahideen]

Problems of people will be resolved: Bilawal

LARKANA, March 20 (APP)- The Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, visited the grave of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in Ghari Khuda Bux on Thursday.He laid a wreath and offered ‘Fateha’. He also laid wreaths at the grave of founder of PPP Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Mir Murtaza Bhutto and offered Fateha.

Bilawal met with the people and district office bearers of PPP Naudero at the Bhutto House.

He said that the party would be run in accordance with the will and principles of late Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

The PPP Chairman called for organizing and strengthening the party at the grassroots level.

He said that the incoming government is an “Awami” (peoples) one and would tackle the problems of unemployment, price hike and lawlessness.

The PPP Chairman was presented with the traditional gift of Ajrak and was also apprised of the problems of the people.

He assured that the new government would help resolve the problems of the people on priority basis.

Later, Bilawal left Naudero for Sukkur Airport on way to Karachi from where he will take a connecting flight to Islamabad.

Associated Press Of Pakistan - Problems of people will be resolved: Bilawal

 

[mujahideen]

Next Pakistani PM to be revealed over weekend

By Kamran Haider

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Set to lead Pakistan's incoming coalition government, the party of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto will nominate its candidate for the premiership by Sunday, a spokesman said.

The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) is led by Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, but he is ineligible for the premiership because he is not a member of the assembly, and more than a month after a parliamentary election Pakistanis remain unsure over who their next prime minister will be.

There is speculation that the PPP will nominate a stop-gap prime minister, and Zardari will move into the slot later. But he will have to win a by-election first.

"The last date for submitting nomination papers is Sunday, so naturally the name (of prime minister candidate) will be announced either on Sunday or Saturday," said Zardari's spokesman Farhatullah Babar.

Bhutto's 19-year-old son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has returned to Pakistan and is expected to reveal the party's choice. The new prime minister would then be sworn into office on Tuesday.

President Pervez Musharraf has few allies left in the assembly after their defeat in an election on Feb. 18.

Musharraf, who came to power as a general in a coup in 1999, appears increasingly isolated, and there is intense speculation over how long the U.S. ally will be able to hold onto power.

The incoming government has pledged to pass a resolution to reinstate Supreme Court judges who Musharraf replaced in November out of fear that they could rule unconstitutional his own re-election by the previous assembly.

Musharraf has asked the National Assembly to reconvene on Monday to elect the PPP's choice.

The election should be straightforward, after the overwhelming majority the assembly gave PPP candidate Fehmida Mirza when it voted on Wednesday to make her its first woman speaker.

Makhdoom Amin Fahim, a senior aide to Bhutto and Zardari's deputy, had been favourite but his prospects dimmed after Sharif's party objected to his contacts with Musharraf.

Other potential candidates include Yousaf Raza Gilani, Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar and Shah Mahmood Qureshi. They all hail from the central province of Punjab, whereas the PPP's stronghold is the southern province of Sindh.

Gilani, PPP's vice chairman, spent at least four years in prison on charges of making illegal government appointments. Mukhtar defeated Musharraf's ally Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, chief of Pakistan Muslim League, in the election. While Qureshi is president of PPP in Punjab.

The Feb. 18 election saw the PPP emerge with the most seats in the 342-member National Assembly but not enough to rule alone.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's party came second, dealing a crushing defeat to the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League.

Sharif, the leader Musharraf deposed, and Zardari signed an agreement this month to form a coalition with a small regional party and a religious party.

Like Zardari, Sharif did not stand in the election.

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