KARACHI – As the political scenario has been turned upside down, the ruling party has to decide a new prime minister in case a no-confidence vote against Yousaf Raza Gilani succeeds in the parliament.
Sources told Pakistan Today that Makhdoom Shahabuddin is likely to be nominated by the PPP as the new prime minister of the country. The sources said the former federal finance minister and close aide of PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Shahab would be nominated the new prime minister as he was even acceptable to Fazlur Rehman.
Shahab hails from Rahim Yar Khan and considered an honest and competent person, the sources said, adding that all political oppositions of the current government did not have any problem with him being nominated as the new prime minister. The sources said that the JUI-F and the MQM would likely to agree with the nomination of Shahab as new prime minister while Gilani is no more acceptable to both the parties.
For the JUI-F, the thorn in the side is Gilani, who sacked Azam Swati, while the MQM’s problem is the rising corruption by the major leaders of the government, the sources said. An MQM senator said Prime Minister Gilani said the government could not subsidise petroleum products, while it continued providing subsidy to the railways, PIA, and Steel Mills.
He said the only solution to the current turmoil was fresh elections.
