Re: PM candidate: Amin Faheem or surprise candidate? (merged)
I informed guppies about Ahmad Mukhtar being nominated for PM post four days ago…I still maintain he is the most favoured candidate if you want to place your bets…Shah Mehmood is too ambitious and very close to Farooq Leghari the most hated person in Zardari’s books…Gillani is not very close to Zardari…furthurmore Zardari thinks somebody from business back ground is more likely to deliver…the other two are from feudal back ground…
http://thenews.jang.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=13249
Amin Fahim may not be the PM, after all
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: Frontrunner Makhdoom Amin Fahim may become the casualty of a dramatic shift in the approach of the top PPP leadership, which is constantly in session within the protected boundaries of the Bilawal House here.
The winds are now blowing towards a prime minister from the Punjab. So far, three party loyalists from the big province have been quietly given the go-ahead to lobby for the top slot in the country.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that four former PPP ministers, unhappy with the developments taking place within the party ranks, have sent a message to Asif Zardari that the decision to nominate the prime minister should be left to the central executive committee (CEC) of the party to keep the party united.
But insiders claimed that this advice may not impress the party chief as it is being expected that if the CEC is given the powers, Fahim may get the vote. Top party sources claimed that Amin Fahim had already held a meeting with Zardari along with his son Jameeluzzaman in Islamabad on Tuesday and the outcome of the meeting was not so pleasant.
Fahim is now being given an indirect message to let his son become the chief minister of Sindh and, consequently, he should not claim the slot of the prime minister. Sources said this option might not be acceptable to Fahim, and one insider even claimed that if he was not nominated for this slot, the party might experience some turbulent period ahead of the formation of the government.
Three names which are now being floated in the PPP circles are Shah Mehmud Qureshi, Yousuf Raza Gillani and Ahmed Mukhtar. Earlier, sources said, the shocking change in the mindset of the party leaders that might provoke a sharp reaction in Sindh, has come amid a secret message sent to Asif Zardari by four former ministers of Benazir Bhutto government that the central executive committee (CEC) of the party should be authorised to take a decision about the future prime minister instead of some individuals making this important nomination.
These four former ministers are Raza Rabbani, Nawab Yousuf Talpur, Naveed Qamar and Syed Khurshid Shah. Sherry Rehman – these days considered to be very close to the new party chief – was said to have been assigned the most difficult task of whispering this “indecent message” into the ears of Mr Zardari.
Sherry Rehman denied it when asked by The News about her role as a messenger. “It’s absolutely untrue. I conveyed no such message,” she claimed. But, insiders insisted that Sherry was given this message by these top party leaders who were in favour of a decision by the CEC, as they feared that some individuals might make a decision that might not be a good omen for the unity of the party in the long run.
Amin Fahim and Shah Mehmud Qureshi were not available for comments. One of these former ministers told The News that it was useless to get his version on this issue as “none of us would confirm it on record, knowingly that the new party chief would not like to read it in the newspaper.”
Meanwhile, background interviews reveal that the change in the mindset of the party leaders has occurred during the last two days, as now some party elements are arguing in favour of a prime minister from the Punjab and Shah Mehmud Qureshi and Yousuf Raza Gillani were given a go-ahead a few days back.
Now the latest addition to the shortlist is Ahmed Mukhtar, who has defeated Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain with a big margin from Gujrat. Sources said Zardari was being advised to bring someone from the Punjab for obvious reasons. One is that any prime minister would be easily replaced once he (Zardari) became a member of parliament and at some stage finally decided to become the prime minister.
“If someone from Sindh like Fahim becomes the prime minister, it might be difficult for Zardari to remove him for political considerations. So, a prime minister from the Punjab greatly suits Zardari in the long run,” the sources said.
**Talking to The News, Ahmed Mukhtar confirmed that during the last two days, there was some change in the thinking within the party ranks regarding the province from which the party should nominate a prime minister.
He said actually certain people did argue that if the party had a comfortable majority in Sindh, then some other province should be given a chance to head the government.** When asked whether he was a candidate for the slot, Ahmed Mukhtar replied that every member of the parliament always wished to become the prime minister of the country, so there was no big deal in thinking about such elevation.
But, he clarified that it did not mean that everyone could become the premier. However, there was no harm in thinking about becoming the prime minister. But, he hastened to add that it was up to the party to decide. But, he denied that he was asked by Asif Zardari or someone else to start thinking about becoming the prime minister.
Mukhtar said he had also heard the names of Shah Mehmud Qureshi and Yousuf Raza as the future prime ministers.
He said there was no doubt that only two days ago, the party ranks were hearing the name of Amin Fahim but now suddenly the whispers about a prime minister from the Punjab had started. “Please don’t misquote me. Write only what I have told you,” Mukhtar cautioned.
