Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai has emerged as a consensus candidate for the caretaker prime minister slot.
He, however, refused to accept the offer of opposition leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
Sources in the PPP said that Religious Affairs Minister Khursheed Shah and Senator Raza Rabbani had several meetings with Achakzai and finally succeeded in persuading him to accept the chief executive post.
He was also told that as he was from Balochistan, where law and order was “extremely dangerous”, his becoming the premier would give a positive message and help in restoration of peace and stability there. Achakzai is also expected to persuade the nationalist parties to take part in the upcoming general elections.
After Achakzai’s nod, a meeting was arranged between Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and the PkMAP chief. Sources said further Achakzai would be meeting PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Chaudhry Nisar in the next few days to take them into confidence in this regard.
He is also likely to meet the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the Awami National Party, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf heads as well.
Earlier, Achakzai had turned down the Nisar’s offer on the ground that he does not want to be out of electoral politics. Sources said that Achakzai has been acceptable to all stakeholders as he has a neutral stance on important issues and a strong defender of the country’s vital interests.