A meeting of the ruling coalition partners on Saturday decided in principle to hold the next general elections in March 2013, while endorsing the nomination of Nayyer Hussain Bukhari as Senate chairman, and Sabir Baloch from Balochistan as deputy chairman, sources told Pakistan Today.
Sources said the coalition members had decided to hold the elections next year in order to allow the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government achieve its election targets, and go to the masses with some achievements to sell.
“The idea was floated by Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and endorsed by Awami National Party’s (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) among others. President Asif Ali Zardari also supported the idea,” sources said, adding that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had opposed the idea initially, but agreed with the majority’s view later.
Sources said the president had told the allies that he would address the joint session of the parliament on March 17, and urged them to come up with their recommendations to be included in his speech. Finally, it was decided that the allies would meet again on March 15 to discuss proposals from the allied parties, sources added.
At a meeting held at the Presidency with Zardari and Gilani, the heads of the coalition parties also deliberated upon a strategy for the next general elections. The meeting was attended by PML-Q President Shujaat Hussain, PML-Q Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Sayed, ANP chief Asfandyar Wali, Senator Afrasiab Khattak, MQM members Senator Babar Ghauri and Senator Tahir Mashhadi, Balochistan National Party-Awami (BNP) chief Senator Mir Israrullah Zehri, Munir Khan Orakzai, and Shaukatullah of the FATA parliamentary group. PPP leaders Khurshid Shah, Senator Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, MNA Raja Parvez Ashraf and Presidential Spokesman Farhatullah Babar were present in the meeting.
Zardari welcomed the allied parties to the meeting, and said the PPP wished to nominate Senator Nayyer Hussain Bukhari for the slot of the Senate chairman and Senator Sabir Baloch from Balochistan for the slot of Senate deputy chairman.
The president urged the coalition partners to support the PPP in electing its nominees for the offices of Senate chairman and deputy chairman for which elections would be held on March 12. All the allied parties attending the meeting endorsed the president’s suggestion, assuring him of their support for PPP’s nominees. They also congratulated Bukhari on being nominated for the post of Senate chairman.
The allied leaders also expressed the hope that both Bukhari and Baloch would be elected unopposed as chairman and deputy chairman of the Upper House respectively.
The president thanked the allied parties for endorsing the PPP nominees. Senator Bukhari also thanked Zardari for nominating him to the slot of Senate chairman and all the allied parties for endorsing his nomination. He said he would discharge his responsibilities to the best of his abilities and in the best parliamentary traditions.
