Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Feb 15: As PML-N, PPP, MQMP, PML-Q, IPP and BAP have announced to form a coalition government at the Centre, PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari is likely to become the President of the country for the second time, local media reported.
On Tuesday, the abovementioned parties had announced to form a government in the Centre on the lines of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government, Geo News reported. PML-N leadership has agreed to support Zardari for the post of president in return for PPP’s support to Shehbaz Sharif for the Prime Minister’s post, sources said.
Meanwhile, PML(N) leader Rana Sanaullah said that PPP did not not demand the top constitutional post of president. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had on Tuesday announced Zardari as PPP candidate for the President’s post.
“I am not saying this because he is my father. I am saying this because the country is in a huge crisis at the moment and if anyone can douse this fire, it is Asif Ali Zardari,” Bilawal had said.
Imran picks Omar Ayub for PM’s Post
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser revealed on Thursday that the party’s founding Chairman, Imran Khan, has picked senior leader Omar Ayub Khan as the candidate for Prime Minister, a media report said.
Addressing the media outside the Adiala jail following his meeting with Imran Khan, former National Assembly Speaker Qaiser said he has been tasked with approaching all the political parties to form the next government, The Express Tribune reported.
Alleging ‘poll rigging’, the PTI leader said that Imran Khan will announce a date for a nationwide protest by Thursday evening.
“Our party’s mandate has been stolen,” he said, The Express Tribune reported.
Replying to a question about political contacts for the formation of government at the Centre, Qaiser said he has been tasked by the party founder to contact political parties, including JUI-F, ANP, Aftab Sherpao and others. The former Speaker said the February 8 elections were ‘rigged’ to undermine the mandate of the masses given to the PTI.
Omar Ayub, an Independent candidate backed by the PTI, won the election for National Assembly-18 constituency by securing 192,948 votes. According to the unofficial results issued by the returning officer/Election Commission of Pakistan, his runner-up was Pakistan Muslim League (N) candidate Babar Nawaz Khan, who bagged 112,389 votes. The voter turnout was 49.88 per cent.
Pakistan on Thursday said the recently held elections are its internal affair and asserted that any step that it takes is in conformity with its own constitutional obligations and not influenced by external advice.
Several countries, think tanks, international media organisations, and even the UN have called out the alleged irregularities during the polling day on February 8 and also described the outcome as rigged due to delay in announcing the complete results. (Agencies)