Jamali set to become Pakistan’s 19th prime minister

Taking advantage of divisions among parties opposed to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, the pro-military PML-Q’s nominee Mir Zafrul...

Taking advantage of divisions among parties opposed to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, the pro-military PML-Q’s nominee Mir Zafrullah Khan Jamali is all set to be elected by Parliament on Thursday as Pakistan’s first prime minister after the 1998 coup, ending the political crisis gripping the nation after the October 10 general elections.

On Wednesday, the final day of filing of nominations, Jamali, a former Baluchistan caretaker prime minister, pro-Taliban Maulana Fazalur Rehman of the Islamic party alliance Muthahida Majlis Amal (MMA) and Shah Mehmood Qureshi of the Pakistan People’s Party headed by former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, submitted their papers.

Jamali appeared set to get elected by the 334-member National Assembly as the country’s 19th prime minister, judging by Tuesday’s elections for the posts of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker which were bagged by his party.

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The MMA and PPP, which have emerged as the second and third largest parties in the general elections, failed to reach an agreement over the formation of the government and decided to contest the election of the PM separately.

After filing his nomination, Jamali, whom political observers feel would be a pliant premier in the government controlled by Musharraf, told reporters, ‘‘If elected I will take the coveted office as a challenge’’ and endeavour to take other political parties along in the National Assembly.