Adil Najam
Before the elections Dawn News had done a series on who should become the next Prime Minister of Pakistan. I am not sure what the result there was. But I do know that the question is real again. Much more real.
Speculation is rife. Theories about. The more we talk about it, the more confused we get. The game is interesting, but is it just a game?
There are too many questions, and too few answers.
- Will we get a grand ‘coalition of [nearly] the whole, which will have 3/4th majority and could replace the President and rehabilitate the Constitution?
- Will PPP and PML-N part ways – either because PML-N will choose to be the ‘friendly’ opposition or because they both realize they cannot work together?
- What about the PML-Q? They are also talking to the PPP. Is a PPP-PML-Q coalition on teh cards?
- They say Amin Fahim is over, is he?
- Will we get a PM from the Punjab – Gillani, Qureshi or Mukhtar – to highlight that PPP is not just a ‘Sindhi’ party? If so, will this is permanent or temporary while the party waits for Asif Zardari to be elected from somewhere?
- With Maulana Fazlur Rahman doing his ‘meetings’, is he still in the game?
- What about the ANP? Could we see a consensus candidate emerging from there in the ruling coalition?
- And what about the provinces. It seemed that things were clear – PML-N in the Punjab, PPP in Sindh, ANP in NWFP and PML-Q in Balochistan. Will that actually be?
And you could answer any of them in the affirmative depending on what you already think and which news reports you have been reading. Any ideas what might actually happen?
In a recent post on ATP ‘temporal‘ had asked who should become the next president of Pakistan. We ask a similar question today but the intent this time is not normative, but practical. The question, this time, is not who should become the next President, but who you think will become the next Prime Minister, given the way the cards have been dealt with the last elections.
so, Koun Baney Ga Wazeer-i-Aazm? Any thoughts?
Since you have asked who WILL become PM and not who SHOULD, let me keep my preference out of this.
It seems that PPP will name the PM and will not reach out to ANP or PML(n) for this post. I think whether you like it or not you will soon have Prime Minister Zardari. But since that has to wait till he is elected on some seat you will first see an interim person. Maybe someone like Ahmad Mukhtar to keep the seat warm till Zardari can take over.
One can list down one’s preferences in terms of individuals. For example, in the PPP, my prefered choice would be Aitezaz Ahsan. But I think a more important question is the system and the process through which the leader is chosen.
There should be intra-party democracy. Party tickets should not be ‘awarded’ by the party leader, but decided by the party workers in the constituency in a genuine election. Likewise, the party’s leadership at the national, provincial and local level should be regularly elected by the party workers. And the same principle of intra-party democracy should be applied to decide the party’s candidates for the offices of the PM, CM and other ministries.
Somebody who can perform miracle,Ahmed Mukhtar has done one by defeating ch Shuj in Gujrat.It will take another miracle to oust the dictator.
Whether we like it or not, the 4 province mandate is with PPP this time. All other parties have emerged as 1-province only parties. so the PM should come from PPP. He/She should be elected on the basis of his ‘diplomatic’ skills ‘jo chalay to sub ko saath le kar chalay’. He/she can come from any province.
The unofficial Provincial quota should come at lower posts like cabinet and Ministers etc.
I think ‘Yousuf Raza Gilani’ of Multan may be a good choice for the post of PM.
I think they are still short of getting 3/4 majority in the parliament and its going to hard for them to get all constitutional package done so smoothly.
As far as candidate for PM is concerned, Fahim is still front runner but he is not that bold to take some strong positions. If he is not there then Gillani is likely to get it. Additionally, Fahim if not PM surely would be getting CM slot for his son in Sind.
Maulana is in the power game as his role is very crucial for ousting PML-Q from Baluchistan.
ANP has already nominated Hoti for the post as Bilour family could not get that post because PPP was against his nomination due to murder feud going on between PPP and Bilour family.