Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Meeting of ruling Pakistan People Party’s parliamentary committee was underway here in the federal capital for a damage-control exercise after Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani’s disqualification, SAMAA reports.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday declared Gilani disqualified from holding a seat in the parliament.

President Asif Ali Zardari and former Prime Minister Gilani jointly chaired the meeting in the Presidency and held consultation with party
Senators and MNAs.

Reports said the meeting discussed election of a new Prime Minister and fielding of candidate for the post for which the ruling party woos its present and former allies.

The election will be held on June 22 in the National Assembly session.

Sources said Zardari telephoned his former ally JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and invited him to rejoin the government and support the PPP candidate.

In return, sources said, Zardari offered three ministries to JUI-F which the religious party leader refused to accept and vowed to respond the president after consultation with the party.

PPP leadership has picked Minister for Textiles Makhdoom Shahabuddin for the office of prime ministership.

Minister for Water and Power and former defence minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar is also a strong candidate for the office. However, PPP ally, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q) had reservations on him.

On the other hand, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is expected to field Sardar Mehtab Abbasi for which the opposition party is likely to take all anti-PPP factions into confidence.

On Wednesday, a PML-N delegation is also likely to call on Fazlur Rehman in this regard. -- SAMAA