ISLAMABAD - The election of new prime minister has been scheduled for tomorrow (Friday, June 22) evening, for which President Asif Ali Zardari summoned the National Assembly session at 5pm.
PPP?leader Syed Khursheed Shah told reporters that the election for the new leader of the house would be held on June 22.
As per the election schedule, the nomination papers for the slot of PM duly signed by the candidate and his proposer and seconder shall be delivered to the National Assembly secretary by 2pm today (Thursday). The speaker shall in the presence of the candidates or their proposers and seconders, who wish to be present, scrutinise the nominations at 3pm the same day.
The voting shall be recorded in accordance with the procedure set out on the second schedule of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 2007 tomorrow at 5:30pm.
Responding to a question, Khursheed Shah said President Zardari, who is co-chairman of the PPP, was authorised to decide about the new leader of the house and the party CEC as well as the heads of the coalition partners had expressed their full confidence in him and the candidate he would bring in to fill the vacant slot.
Meanwhile in another development following the disqualification of Gilani by the apex court and his de-notification as MNA from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the Cabinet Division issued a notification, according to which the premiership of Gilani was terminated and the federal cabinet had been dissolved. Some 35 federal ministers, 18 ministers of state, four advisers, and six special assistants to prime minister have ceased to work on their posts, however, the federal ministers and other members of the cabinet can continue receiving privileges for another 15 days.
PPP CEC and Core Committee have already authorised Zardari to take decision about the future prime minister, while the coalition partners, with a few reservations on some of the candidates, were unanimous in their point of view that being the largest political party in the coalition, the prime minister should be from the PPP and also granted powers to President Zardari to finalise the name.
– Agencies
