Pak PM hopeful faces arrest
22 Jun 2012 2:23 AM GMT
A last minute drama on Thursday marked the selection of Pakistan’s new prime minister as the ruling PPP choice Makhdoom Shahabuddin was issued a non-bailable warrant by an anti-drug court as he was filing his nomination, virtually ending his prospects.
Shahabuddin, a Minister in the cabinet of Yousuf Raza Gilani who was disqualified by the Supreme Court two days ago, was at the National Assembly filing his papers when the court issued warrants for his arrest over alleged irregularities in the import of a controlled drug.
The election for the post of prime minister will be held on Friday at the National Assembly.
The latest development seems to have set the stage for a fresh round of stand-off between the government and an assertive judiciary and may further deepen the political crisis that has hit the country.
Acting on a request from the Anti-Narcotics Force, Judge Shafqatullah Khan in Rawalpindi issued arrest warrants for Shahabuddin and former premier Gilani’s son Ali Musa Gilani.
The judge directed officials to arrest and present them in his court within a week. The Supreme Court is examining allegations about out-of-turn quotas for importing Ephedrine that were granted to two pharmaceutical companies by the Health Ministry, allegedly under the influence of Ali Musa.
After filing his nomination, Shahabuddin thanked the ruling PPP and its leaders and workers for backing his candidature but averted questions from the media about the arrest warrant.
Asked by a reporter if he would accept the arrest warrant, Shahabuddin only responded by quoting an Urdu couplet: ‘Yeh to chalti hai tujhe ooncha udane ke liye.’
Faced with a non-bailable arrest warrant against Makhdoom Shahabuddin, its first choice for prime minister's post, ruling Pakistan Peoples Party on Thursday fielded senior leader Qamar Zaman Kaira at the last minute besides a ‘covering’ candidate.
President Asif Ali Zardari, the chief of the PPP, had earlier nominated Shahabuddin for the post of premier. Senior PPP leader Raja Parvez Ashraf, was named as a ‘covering’ or alternative candidate in case Shahabuddin's nomination papers were rejected for some reason. As Shahabuddin was filing his nomination papers at the National Assembly, a special court of the Anti-Narcotics Force in Rawalpindi issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him in connection with alleged irregularities in the import of a large quantity of the controlled drug Ephedrine during his tenure as Health Minister.
Though it was not immediately clear whether the warrant would affect Shahabuddin's candidature, the PPP decided to take no chances and senior leader Kaira too filled nomination papers for the election of the premier. Kaira's papers were submitted shortly before the National Assembly Secretariat stopped accepting nominations at 2 pm. All three PPP candidates Shahabuddin, Ashraf and Kaira served as ministers in former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani's cabinet. Shahabuddin and Ashraf have been linked to graft cases that are currently being examined while there are no allegations against Kaira.
Shahabuddin, a Minister in the cabinet of Yousuf Raza Gilani who was disqualified by the Supreme Court two days ago, was at the National Assembly filing his papers when the court issued warrants for his arrest over alleged irregularities in the import of a controlled drug.
The election for the post of prime minister will be held on Friday at the National Assembly.
The latest development seems to have set the stage for a fresh round of stand-off between the government and an assertive judiciary and may further deepen the political crisis that has hit the country.
Acting on a request from the Anti-Narcotics Force, Judge Shafqatullah Khan in Rawalpindi issued arrest warrants for Shahabuddin and former premier Gilani’s son Ali Musa Gilani.
The judge directed officials to arrest and present them in his court within a week. The Supreme Court is examining allegations about out-of-turn quotas for importing Ephedrine that were granted to two pharmaceutical companies by the Health Ministry, allegedly under the influence of Ali Musa.
After filing his nomination, Shahabuddin thanked the ruling PPP and its leaders and workers for backing his candidature but averted questions from the media about the arrest warrant.
Asked by a reporter if he would accept the arrest warrant, Shahabuddin only responded by quoting an Urdu couplet: ‘Yeh to chalti hai tujhe ooncha udane ke liye.’
Faced with a non-bailable arrest warrant against Makhdoom Shahabuddin, its first choice for prime minister's post, ruling Pakistan Peoples Party on Thursday fielded senior leader Qamar Zaman Kaira at the last minute besides a ‘covering’ candidate.
President Asif Ali Zardari, the chief of the PPP, had earlier nominated Shahabuddin for the post of premier. Senior PPP leader Raja Parvez Ashraf, was named as a ‘covering’ or alternative candidate in case Shahabuddin's nomination papers were rejected for some reason. As Shahabuddin was filing his nomination papers at the National Assembly, a special court of the Anti-Narcotics Force in Rawalpindi issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him in connection with alleged irregularities in the import of a large quantity of the controlled drug Ephedrine during his tenure as Health Minister.
Though it was not immediately clear whether the warrant would affect Shahabuddin's candidature, the PPP decided to take no chances and senior leader Kaira too filled nomination papers for the election of the premier. Kaira's papers were submitted shortly before the National Assembly Secretariat stopped accepting nominations at 2 pm. All three PPP candidates Shahabuddin, Ashraf and Kaira served as ministers in former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani's cabinet. Shahabuddin and Ashraf have been linked to graft cases that are currently being examined while there are no allegations against Kaira.
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