Karachi (August 17, 2018): Pakistan Peoples Party has nominated Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as its parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, said sources.
The decision was taken by PPP Parliamentarians President Asif Ali Zardari. The sources said that a letter in this regard will be sent to speaker National Assembly within few days.
Technically PPP Parliamentarians President Asif Ali Zardari will have to hold the seat but he withdrew in favour of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari .
Earlier, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had decided not to support Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif for the post of prime minister.
The decision was taken during a consultative meeting of the PPP and the party is deliberating on whether it will take part in the election. The meeting is being chaired by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.
Shehbaz Sharif was nominated as the prime minister candidate of the joint opposition, which included the PML-N, PPP, MMA and ANP.
The National Assembly will elect the country’s 22nd prime minister on Friday. Earlier today, nomination papers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif were accepted.
Speaking to reporters prior to the PPP meeting, Khrusheed Shah said his party had reservations over Shehbaz being the candidate for prime minister. Shah stressed that if the PML-N does not change its PM candidate then the PPP will make a decision accordingly.
“We have told PML-N of our reservations, we are working on [resolving it]. [But] if they don’t change their candidate then we will [make our own] decision,” he said.
PML-N Retaliation
According to sources, PML-N has decided, in retaliation, to remove the PPP’s Sherry Rehman as Senate opposition leader and to bring its own opposition leader.
For the purpose, PML-N has started contacts with other political parties in Senate and claimed that it has secured the support of 40 Senators.
Numbers game
With the loss of the PPP (54 seats), Shehbaz Sharif will now face an almost impossible task to be elected as prime minister. The PML-N has 81 seats in the National Assembly and it is yet unclear if the party will still be supported by the MMA (15 seats) and ANP (1 seat).
On the other hand, Imran Khan’s PTI has 151 seats and with the support of its allies, the total stands at 175 which is more than the required simple majority.
On Wednesday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan submitted his nomination papers for the slot of Prime Minister.
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Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed suggested the Imran Khan’s name for the Leader of the House while Fakhar Imam supported his nomination.
It is pertinent here to mention that on August 7, the PTI had formally nominated party’s supremo Imran Khan as their candidate for country’s next prime minister.
PTI vice president Shah Mehmood Qureshi presented a resolution nominating Imran as their PM candidate during a parliamentary meeting held at a private hotel in Islamabad after which, the party chairman was welcomed with a huge applause.
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Addressing the participants after his nomination, Imran Khan thanked the members for showing their trust in him. The change for which PTI had been struggling for 22 years will now going to be witnessed, he added.
The newly-elected members of National Assembly were also taken into confidence while discussion over the names of speaker and deputy speaker was also carried out.
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