Following its agreement with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on the establishment of the next government, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is anticipated to reveal its choices for Balochistan chief minister, Senate chairman, and province governors shortly.
The news comes after the PPP reached an arrangement with the PML-N to help the latter build the future government by voting for its prime ministerial nominee, Shehbaz Sharif, in exchange for crucial constitutional positions and a coalition government in Baluchistan.
The party emerged as “King’s party” with its 54 National Assembly (NA) seats after neither the PML-N (79 NA seats) nor the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed independents (92 NA seats) were able to obtain a simple majority to form their government in the Centre, allowing the PPP to bargain for the slot of president’s office among other key constitutional posts.
According to sources, the party has considered three candidates for the position of Balochistan chief minister, including Sadiq Imrani, Sanaullah Zehri, and Sarfraz Bugti, and will announce the nominee within the next 36 hours, according to The News.
The PPP’s Vice Chairman Yousuf Raza Gillani, Salim Mandviwalla, Farooq Naik, and Sherry Rehman are being considered for the position of Senate chairman, the highest constitutional position after the president.
However, sources said Gillani is likely to be the party’s first option for Senate chairman.
If nominated by the party, the former prime minister—elected as senator from Islamabad in 2021 as a joint candidate of the opposition—will have to vacate Multan’s NA-148 seat.
His younger son is likely to run for the seat in the forthcoming by-election.
Furthermore, PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, who is set to become the country’s president for the second time, would unveil the party’s choice for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) governor today or tomorrow (Friday), according to Abrar Saeed, the party’s KP Deputy General Secretary.
The names of five nominees for KP governor are now being consulted, including the party’s Central Information Secretary Faisal Karim Kundi, Shuja Khan, Muhammad Ali Shah Bacha, Humayun Khan, and Zahir Ali Shah.
A day ago, sources told Geo News that the PPP is considering the names of Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood, Qamar Zaman Kaira, and Nadeem Afzal Chan as potential contenders for the governor’s seat in Punjab.
The PPP will make its final decision on the Senate chairman and Punjab governor before the freshly elected NA and provincial assembly members take their oaths.
Shazia Marri and Nafisa Shah are also being considered for the position of Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.
Meanwhile, the PML-N is contemplating Ayaz Sadiq for the position of National Assembly speaker. In exchange for their support for the PPP-PML-N partnership, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) is expected to receive the ministries of IT, ports, and shipping, as well as overseas Pakistanis, in the coalition administration.
