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New Pak PM promises to strengthen Indo-Pak ties
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SME Times News Bureau | 23 Jun, 2012
An agriculturist before entering politics and propped by the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as a cover candidate, Pakistan's new Prime Minister, Raja Pervez Ashraf has desired peaceful ties with its neighbours, including India, and will work to strengthen the dialogue process that is already underway to resolve problems like the Kashmir issue.
Raja Pervez Ashraf of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a former
federal minister in the government of ousted prime minister Yousuf Raza
Gilani, was Friday elected the country's 25th prime minister by 211
votes to 89 by a special session of the National Assembly, the lower
house of parliament.
Sardar Mehtab Abbasi of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) got 89 votes, Geo News reported.
The
prime minister's post became vacant after the Supreme Court
disqualified Gilani with effect from April 26 after his conviction for
contempt of court for refusing to write to the Swiss authorities to
reopen corruption case against President Asif Ali Zardari.
Tipped
earlier as a cover candidate, Ashraf was Thursday named the main
candidate for following the issue of a non-bailable arrest warrant
against the previous contender Makhdoom Shahabuddin.
Shahabuddin's
name was dropped after an anti-narcotics court Thursday issued a
non-bailable arrest warrant against him in an illegal drugs quota case.
President
Asif Ali Zardari Friday evening congratulated Ashraf on his win, and
said his election as prime minister was "an indication of the nation's
confidence in democracy", Dawn News reported.
Ashraf - former
minister for water and power, and information and technology - was
Friday morning officially declared as the joint candidate for the post
of prime minister by the PPP and its allies, Muttahida Qaumi Movement
(MQM), Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid
(PML-Q).
Speaking to the media alongside Pakistan Muslim
League-Quaid leader Chaudhry Pervaz Elahi, Ashraf said his main priority
would be to deal with and overcome the energy crisis in the country.
As
the National Assembly session began, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F)
chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who was also a prme ministerial candidate,
appealed to the speaker to adjourn the proceedings due to the death of
member Fauzia Wahab.
PPP member Naveed Qamar said the session was
an important one and could not be adjourned, as the election of the
prime minister was imperative to run the business of the government.
Following
this exchange, Rehman announced his party would not be voting in the
election and that he was withdrawing his candidature.
Earlier, the nomination papers of PPP's Makhdoom Shahabuddin and Qamar Zaman Kaira were also withdrawn.
Opposition members also shouted slogans like "What was the price?" targeting the JUi-F chief.
Earlier
in the day, PPP leader Khursheed Shah met Rehman at his residence to
request the JUI-F chief to withdraw his candidature from the prime
ministerial election.
On Thursday night, the PPP and its
coalition partners, at a meeting chaired by Zardari, authorised the PPP
to name the next prime ministerial candidate.
During the meeting
attended by leaders of the PML-Q, the MQM and the ANP, the allies
unanimously approved the name of Ashraf for the post, presidential
spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.
Gilani was also disqualified as
member of the National Assembly from the NA-151, Multan constituency.
By-elections for the seat that fell vacant will be held July 19.
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