Re: Raza Gillani nominated as PM
Pakistani dragon’s post reminded me of this episode. It is kind of sad how we don’t take any lesson or mend ourselves, instead just watch these shows for fun and move forward.
Re: Raza Gillani nominated as PM
A former loyalist of Zia-ul Haq.
Convicted of mass corruption and misuse of office.
His crimes were absolved like Zardari and BB’s under the NRO.
From jail to prime minister
A former parliamentary speaker who spent half the last decade in jail, Yousaf Raza Gillani is one of the most loyal followers of former premier Benazir Bhutto. Gillani, a 58-year-old father-of-five, was nominated by Pakistan People’s Party on Saturday night to be the crisis-hit country’s next prime minister after a month of torturous deliberations. Gillani only emerged as the frontrunner last week, but was helped by his closeness to Asif Ali Zardari, who was in jail at the same time as him under the regime of President Pervez Musharraf. Party insiders and friends said he was from a less elitist background than other PPP figures and would likely be a safe pair of hands in a looming showdown between Musharraf and a hostile incoming government. Close friend Khawaja Adnan, who was in Rawalpindi’s harsh Adiala Jail at the same time as Gillani, said that despite his time behind bars he would not necessarily hold a grudge against Musharraf. “Yousaf Raza Gillani is a non-vindictive politician who firmly believes in the superiority of the party,” Adnan told AFP. “He is a passionate Pakistani and he has suffered for the restoration of democracy in the country. He is a very humble man,” Adnan added.
The question remains however whether Gillani is just a seat-warmer for Zardari, who was not eligible to be premier because he is not an MP, but who may decide to fight a by-election in May and take over the post. Political analyst and newspaper columnist Shafqat Mahmood said Gillani was an experienced politician who would abide by Zardari’s wishes. “He has won his political spurs by spending more than five years in jail during Musharraf’s dictatorship,” Mahmood told AFP. “He will be the kind of figure who will be acceptable to most people because he is a soft person. As far as the party unity is concerned, it will be in the domain of Mr Zardari.” Gillani was born in 1950 into a family with a long heritage as guardians of shrines in Multan, known as the ‘City of Saints’. His father was an MP in the 1950s and had modest landholdings, but party officials said they were not in the same league as other PPP leaders including the Bhuttos and Gillani’s main rival for the PM post, Makhdoom Amin Fahim. He took a masters degree in journalism and entered politics in the 1980s, when he was part of a cabinet under the military dictator Ziaul Haq, who had Bhutto’s father hanged in 1979. But he quit the administration in 1988 to join the PPP, defeating future prime minister Nawaz Sharif in elections that year after Zia’s death in a mysterious air crash. Bhutto appointed Gillani as a minister for health and then for housing in her first government from 1988 to 1990. He was then speaker from 1993 to 1996 in Bhutto’s second government.
But after Musharraf grabbed power in a military coup in 1999 Gillani was targeted in an anti-corruption crackdown. He was charged with granting 350 government jobs to people without following correct procedures and for excessive use of telephones and cars as speaker, and spent five years in jail. The PPP said the charges against Gillani and other members including Zardari were politically motivated. All charges against holders of public office from that time were wiped out under an amnesty deal that allowed Bhutto to return from self-imposed exile in October last year. Parliament is now set to elect the premier on Monday, with Gillani a certainty thanks to the majority the PPP and its coalition partners hold. But one final hurdle remains - his only son is set to marry in Karachi on the same day, leaving him facing a tough first day on the job. Gillani belongs to an influential political and religious family of Multan. Soon after getting his Masters Degree in Journalism, from Punjab University Yusuf Raza Gillani joined the Muslim League’s Central Working Committee. After a brief association with the Muslim League, Gillani joined PPP soon after the dismissal of Mohammed Khan Junejo’s government and has stayed with the party since then. He was elected MNA in the non-party based election from NA-119 and remained member of the assembly from March 20, 1985 to May 29, 1980 and he also served as federal minister from 1985-88. He remained speaker of National Assembly from October 17, 1993 to February 16, 1997.
In 2001, the Accountability Court awarded him 10 years imprisonment and fine to the tune of Rs. 100 million in a controversial illegal appointment reference case. He spent four years in jail, during which both his sister and mother died. In October 2006 High Court set aside the imprisonment and released him on bail. His unflinching support to the PPP during in times of crisis and his refusal to bow to the establishment had built his image as a principled politician, a rare trait of Pakistani politics. His conduct as speaker of the National Assembly raised his status as a mature politician committed to parliamentary traditions. As speaker of the National Assembly, he differed with the then Prime Minister Benazir on several occasions. He had issued summon orders under Rule 90 for jailed opposition leaders despite Benazir Bhutto’s open opposition. He is also writer of a book Chah-e-Yusuf Say Sada wherein he shared his experiences and provided first hand account of Pakistan’s political leaders and their contribution to Pakistan’s political system; beginning from Ziaul Haq till the Musharraf regime
Re: Raza Gillani nominated as PM
makhdoom syed yousuf raza geelani sahab's son will inshallah marry the daughter of sadruddin shah rashdi sahab,the granddaughter of pir saab pagara i am sure his samdhi wont disappoint him.
MQM's has already annnounced its "unconditional" support to makhdoom yousuf and if sherpao with his only seat supports his former party's candidate along with independents,fata members,pml functional and pml q forward bloc(many from seraiki belt for eg riaz pirzada) i wonder how many votes will chaudhary pervaiz ellahi get??
It will be another embrassment for chaudharys if the forward bloc supports gillani and he manages to secure around 275 votes if not 300.
Re: Raza Gillani nominated as PM
The best of both worlds
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By Muhammad Saleh Zaafir
President Pervez Musharraf is considering providing the nominated PPP Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani a special plane to visit Karachi for his son’s wedding as it coincides with his oath-taking on March 25.
The nominated PM is not entitled to avail the special plane as long he does not take the oath of his office. Provision of special plane has become necessary because Gilani will have to return early on Tuesday after his son’s wedding on Monday night in Karachi. The oath-taking will take place at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Tuesday forenoon. **Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani’s eldest son, Makhdoom Abdul Qadir Gilani, is known by his nickname Punni and has four younger brothers, including triplets who were born after him. ****Punni is being married to the daughter of Pir Rashdi who is the granddaughter of Pir Pagara. **Gilani will be hosting the Valima reception for his son’s wedding on Saturday, March 29, in Lahore. It is expected that the Valima reception would be a great event of that city.
Tahir Hasan Khan adds from Karachi: Prime Minister-designate Makhdoom Yousuf Raza Gilani will be elected as chief executive of the country on the same day when his son Ghulam Qadir (Bani) will marry the granddaughter of Pir Pagara, Bashmina, in Karachi. Yousuf Raza Gilani is close relative of PML-F chief Pir Pagara. He is nephew of first wife of Pir Pagara. The spiritual leader had divorced his first wife a few years ago and had a second marriage. Pir Pagara, 84, has three children from his second wife. Gilani’s family members who are in Karachi for the arrangements of wedding ceremony were happy to hear the news about his nomination as prime minister. The Mehndi ceremony was going on at the residence of Sadruddin Rashdi, father of Bashmina (the bride), when the PPP announced the name of its candidate for the office of the prime minister. Sadruddin Rashdi is the son of Pir Pagara, but the grandfather of the bride did not attend the function with family members claiming his health is not good. Pir Pagara had supported Makhdoom Amin Fahim for the prime minister’s slot and claimed that Makhdoom is the only candidate who deserved this office.
Re: Raza Gillani nominated as PM
Mashallah I am sure the plane is provided to great leader Musharraf by the great china 
Re: Raza Gillani nominated as PM
Corruption balay balay! Mr. 10% found the best man for the job. I hope Gillani doesn't turn out to be as submissive as he is. Pakistan really needs someone with a backbone to get things right. He will not last 5 years...I guess that goes without saying.
Re: Raza Gillani nominated as PM
Oh my God.
total chaos - sidelining Ameen Fahim and then these behind the door conspiracies and coming up with some short time plan to meet personal goals, makes me want to throw up - YUKH !!!
God help Pakistan
Although I am not a big fan of PPP, but AF was the last ray of light .....
Now watch Zardari and co. hand in hand with mush, plundering and looting the bachha khuchaa pakistan. And these MQM
Re: Raza Gillani nominated as PM
hahahaha..thx for tht. Had forgotten all abt this. Go Gillani. I m a fan (mureed) :k:
Edit: u have to wonder tho if Sherry voted for him.
Re: Raza Gillani nominated as PM
Good one
Re: Raza Gillani nominated as PM
President Pervez Musharraf is considering providing the nominated PPP Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani a special plane to visit Karachi for his son’s wedding as it coincides with his oath-taking on March 25.
Gillani has not even taken the oath yet and Munshi has already started licking his boots.
Re: Raza Gillani nominated as PM
This looks like a right mess 
Quite worrying.
Re: Raza Gillani nominated as PM
Wish him the best. My personal view is that sidelining Fahim, will split the PPPP and again strengthen the guiding hand of Musharraf, who has been a boon for Pakistan.
Re: Raza Gillani nominated as PM
Nothing to worry about. All will be fine. 
Re: Raza Gillani nominated as PM
Nothing to worry about. All will be fine. :)
Hmmmm. Hope so.
Re: Raza Gillani nominated as PM
Only joking but this should teach guys like Fahim and Imran to grab the opportunity with both hands (and both legs I might add) if ever offered something like premiership or any ship in future and not thokar maar such an important uhda in the name of democracy, justice or party manshoor whatever crap that is. It is simply not worth it.
I seriously feel for Fahim, so much qurbaniyan for PPP and yet the party stabbed him in the back
I agree. But also remember that Imran (and the lawyers) call for a boycott of the elections was misplaced as well. In the end the all the major political parties took part in the elections, because power is all they care about, and principles are sidelined. Zardari's humiliation of Faheem and last minute pact with the MQM further demonstrates that as well.
Re: Raza Gillani nominated as PM
Ash! It could be an innocent mistake.
The problem however is that the guy has criminal record. I just wonder why do we have to continue electing or selecting or putting up with old guard.
In most of the countries, a convicted criminal will be disbarred from even the low level public office. We however will continue putting such people as PMs and what not!
When we continue to by-pass justice system then there should be no complain of a criminal getting to a PM slot.
Re: Raza Gillani nominated as PM
Editorial: Gillani: premier for five years
The PPP finally nominated Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani as its candidate for premiership late Saturday and he is one prime minister for whose majority in the National Assembly elaborate arrangements have been made by the ruling coalition. He is expected to win with an overwhelming majority and take oath on Tuesday. **Apart from presiding over the largest cabinet in history — expected to be 70-strong in three phases — he will have the most harmonious conditions for stewarding the centre-province relations. **The PPP says he will rule for five years, which gives one an inkling of what kind of politics Pakistan will have in the coming days.
Fifty-five year old Mr Gillani is a party loyalist who was chosen by Ms Benazir Bhutto as speaker of the National Assembly after coming to power in 1993. The electoral debacle of 1997 saw him back in his constituency in Multan but, in 2001, an anti-corruption court sentenced him to ten years in prison with Rs 100 million as fine. As a result of this conviction and incarceration, he could not fight the 2002 elections. His mother and sister died while he was in jail. Then in 2006 his prison term was set aside by the Punjab High Court. He has emerged as the leading PPP winner in south Punjab in the 2008 elections and will be the province’s bridge to Sindhi politics because of his family relations with Pir Pagaro.
The government of Mr Gillani will be the first of its kind in the country’s history in many ways. It will be confronted with crises to which there is no immediate solution while it has to pull together with its powerful ally the PMLN ruling in the largest province. The top leaders of the coalition, Mr Asif Ali Zardari and Mr Nawaz Sharif, will be out of the government but making policy in Islamabad which the prime minister will have to follow. It is the continued cooperation between the two that will decide the fortunes of the Gillani government. **He will definitely not be a combative and aggressive prime minister that the common man wants, but a discreet slowing-moving chief executive with an ear cocked to the latest inter-party consensus. **And one can say that Mr Gillani is temperamentally suited to the job he will hold.
The first task before him will be that of cabinet-formation. The parties will probably decide the portfolios at the residences of Mr Zardari and Mr Sharif but some ministries will be contested. Given the pacific mood of the leadership some give and take is expected. However, it is on the question of the restoration of the deposed judges that the first frictions may make their appearance. The text of the Bhurban Declaration is clear but not the statements given afterwards by the two big parties. As the National Assembly deliberates on it, the various economic crises facing the nation will need to be addressed too with not many obvious solutions in sight since the crises are linked to the global economy.
That brings to the position the government will take vis-à-vis the army. PPP leader Mr Naveed Qamar, who is said to be hopeful of getting the finance portfolio in the cabinet, has been thinking of solutions. And the only solution that has sprung to his mind so far is the cutting of the defence budget. The defence budget has come down from the dangerous level of 6 percent of the GDP in the 1990s to around 4 percent today. The PPP-PMLN leadership says it will “negotiate” with Baitullah Mehsud in the Tribal Areas, but it will be a mistake to weaken the army first by cutting its budget.
In fact the army will have to be beefed up as Islamabad undertakes any talks in South Waziristan. Far more important in this context would be a rapid normalisation of relations with India and a further liberalisation of policies of trade and investment with it. Talking to the terrorists will need a strong military underpinning to succeed and this will bring up the matter of the general attitude of the ruling politicians towards the army. Paradoxically, the elected government may come to need the army as per the Constitution far more than President Musharraf ever did.
The economy, and not the raw passions of the masses, must dictate the internal and external policies of the coalition government. It will be found soon enough that foreign policy doesn’t need to be tampered with too much. What will need an innovative approach is the matter of provincial autonomy and fresh financial apportionment of resources between the provinces. And the politicians will have to understand better the statesmanlike journey they have embarked upon and be ready to get to the finishing line without aborting it.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\03\24\story_24-3-2008_pg3_1
Re: Raza Gillani nominated as PM
Apart from presiding over the largest cabinet in history — expected to be 70-strong in three phases
70 members of the cabinet! and they said Shaukat Aziz had a jumbo cabinet. That's something like 25% of all govt parliamentarians will get ministrial posts. Then again as the coalition is expected to get bigger, with the inclusion of the MQM, so more and more ministries will have to be created to satisfy all the parties.
Re: Raza Gillani nominated as PM
Someone is having a hard time accepting that MQM might actually have to sit in the opposition.
Re: Raza Gillani nominated as PM
Come’on that’s not boob grabbing, they were all busy in protesting and he was not even looking at her.