PPP picks Raja Pervaiz Ashraf for premiership

PPP leader says parliament elections will be held this year, earlier than expected. The ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Friday named Raja Pervaiz Ashraf as its nominee for prime minister. The government allies also agreed to the name of Raja Pervaiz Ashraf who was earlier selected as covering candidate for Makhdoom Shahabuddin. On Thursday, an anti-narcotics court took the unusual step of issuing an arrest warrant for former textiles minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin over a drugs scandal. Shahabuddin had been President Asif Ali Zardari`s first choice to succeed Gilani. "Raja Pervez Ashraf is our candidate," senior party official Syed Khurshid Shah told a news conference, hinting that the government could call an election before its mandate expires early next year. "This is election year and we are going towards elections," Shah said. "If we have committed some mistakes or did not fulfill our manifesto, then the decision should be left to the people of Pakistan." Ashraf has been dogged by allegations of corruption and controversy from his tenure as water and power minister. He served as information technology minister until the Supreme Court dismissed prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday. Election of the new Prime Minister will be held at a special session of the National Assembly in Islamabad today. Other nominees for premiership are PPP’s Qamar Zaman Kaira‚ PML-N’s Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan Abbasi and JUI-f’s Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman. Newly elected Leader of the House after taking oath as next Prime Minister will seek Vote of Confidence from the National Assembly within sixty days. Office of the Prime Minister fell vacant after disqualification of Yousuf Raza Gilani by the Supreme Court in a contempt of court case.