ISLAMABAD, 23 May 2005 — The Pakistan Muslim League (PML) said Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will be its candidate for premiership in the 2007 general elections.
“Yes, we want him to continue as prime minister after the 2007 general elections. He will be our candidate for this office because he is the most suitable person for the job,” Sen. Tariq Azeem, PML information secretary said.
He claimed that a majority of party leaders were satisfied with Aziz’s performance as prime minister. He said the party would pass a resolution in his favor and would formally announce its decision much before the 2007 general elections.
Since Aziz took over last year, he had been in office for less than three years under the existing term and therefore he deserved a full five-year term to manage the country’s affairs, the senator said. Referring to the example of the election of former Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali, he said the practice of “dark horses” must end. He said the people of the country should know about their future prime minister in advance.
He said that because of his personality and vision, the prime minister enjoyed the support of the common man. He said that Aziz had put the country on the right track and had improved the economy. PML sources said that many senior party leaders were eyeing the office of the prime minister after the 2007 general elections. They said Aziz, who was a non-political person, should not contest for a second term.
Sources said it was premature to say whether Aziz would be the choice of the party leadership because politics in Pakistan was unpredictable. They said the PML leadership would not dare oppose President Pervez Musharraf if he favored Aziz.
There are reports that some elements within the PML are trying to oust Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain from the office of the PML president. After the decision to make Aziz prime minister, it was announced that Shujaat would look after the political side of affairs while giving space to Aziz to pursue Musharraf’s policies.
However, the senator admitted that some top PML leaders were also aspiring to become prime minister after the 2007 elections.
Asked whether it was possible that the PML would make some kind of arrangement with the Benazir Bhutto-led Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in the 2007 general elections, he said an alliance between the core leadership of both parties was not possible. He said some fringe elements from both sides might make some kind of arrangement for their own benefit.
