Fahim still front runner for PM slot
By Saad Saud

ISLAMABAD—Pakistan People’s Party spokesman Farhatullah Babar said Monday that Makhdoom Amin Fahim was still the front runner for the slot of prime minister but a decision would be made by the party’s Central Executive Committee.
Talking to a private television channel, Babar said that in the first high level meeting of the party at Naudero after the assassination of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto it was stated that Makhdoom Amin Fahim would be parliamentary leader of the party in the National Assembly.
It was also stated at that time that this decision would be ratified by the Central Executive Committee of the party, he said.
The CEC meeting would be convened to ratify whatever decision was taken, he said, adding that the CEC members had been alerted to remain available because the meeting could take place any time.
He said the PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari had categorically stated in public he was not a candidate for premiership and that he was not contesting election. To a question, he said the most important priority with the party was to correct constitutional imbalances and not the future of President Pervez Musharraf.
Once the constitution was balanced and the parliament was made sovereign it would be able to take all decisions, he said. He said the parliament was the best forum for important decisions, which could not be made on the streets. “I think with the collective wisdom of all the political parties, all the matters would be settled amicably.”
President Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Punjab Shah Mehmood Qureshi Monday said the party would elect its parliamentary leader on March 6. PPP’s parliamentary body would meet on March 6 under the chairmanship of Asif Ali Zardari in which a unanimous name for the parliamentary leader would be announced, he told PTV.
To a question, he said in principle, PPP and PML-N have agreed on broad-based objectives to further strengthen democratic institutions in the country for which modalities are being worked out. When asked about that PML-N is abstaining from sitting in federal cabinet, he said there is nothing final in this regard.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi said all democratic forces were united to put the country on consistent path to democracy and progress and‘that is a good development.’
On Balochistan, he said PPP was in contact with its allied political parties and independent members to form a coalition government in the province. He expressed the hope that PPP would be able in forming government in Balochistan too.