Islamabad, June 21 (IBNS): Five candidates, including three from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), filed nomination papers for the crucial Prime Minister election in the South Asian nation, Geo News reporters on Thursday.
Senior party leaders Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Raja Pervez Ashraf and Qamar Zaman Kaira have filed the nomination for the PPP.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)'s Sardar Mehtab Abbasi also filed their nomination for the election.
Pakistan President and Co-Chairman of the ruling PPP Asif Ali Zardari nominated Shahabuddin as a candidate for the post, PTV reported.
Meanwhile, making things difficult for Shahabuddin, an anti narcotics court on Thursday issued non-bailable warrants against him and Ali Musa Gilani in connection to the Ephedrine case.
According to reports, the warrant was issued against Shahabuddin in connection to the alleged irregularities in the import of huge numbers of Ephedrine drug during his regime as the Health Minister.
An Anti Narcitics Force (ANF) on Thursday asked the court to issue warrants in connection to the matter.
Ali Musa Gilani is the younger son of former Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who was disqualified by the country’s Supreme Court from holding his office.
The judge of the anti narcotics court also directed the officials to arrest the Shahabuddin and Musa Gilani and present them before it within a week.
Election to elect the new Prime Minister of the country became necessary after Yousuf Raza Gilani was disqualified by the country’s Supreme Court from holding his office on June 19.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Syed Khurshid Shah on Wednesday told reporters a National Assembly session would be convened on June 22 at 5:30 pm to elect the new Prime Minister of the South Asian nation.
Announcing the verdict on Tuesday, Supreme Court Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry said, "Yousuf Raza Gilani stands disqualified as a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (parliament). He has also ceased to be the prime minister of Pakistan ... the office of the prime minister stands vacant.”
However supporters of Gilani had said only parliament could dismiss the Prime Minister but the decision was undoubtedly seen as a blow to the country’s unpopular coalition government led by the PPP.
Experts had said a more serious crisis could be avoided if the ruling coalition finds another Prime Minister even though GIlani in late April had said he will not resign from his political chair after his contempt of court conviction.
“I am an elected prime minister, representing 180 million people. How can anybody order an elected prime minister to go home?” he had said.
Pakistan's Supreme Court in April had found Gilani guilty of contempt of court for refusing to reopen corruption cases against the President Asif Ali Zardari, but gave him only a symbolic sentence of a few minutes' detention in the courtroom.
