ISLAMABAD, 30 July 2007 — Chairman of the Parliament’s Kashmir Committee Hamid Nasir Chattha, who has been widely tipped to become the caretaker prime minister, has said he is not interested in becoming the country’s caretaker premier as this would bar him from contesting polls.
Talking to Arab News, Chattha said, “I want to contest elections and according to the constitution if I become a caretaker prime minister I won’t be eligible to participate in the contest.”
A secret meeting between President Pervez Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan People’s Party chairperson, in Abu Dhabi on Friday has spawned speculations of a “deal” between the two. Although close aides of Benazir and Musharraf have refused to comment on the meeting, two federal ministers Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi and Sheikh Rashid Ahmad have said the meeting did take place.
Many observers have even said that Benazir would accept Musharraf in uniform and her party would vote for him during the forthcoming assembly session.
Afgan has reportedly said the clause barring Benazir from becoming prime minister for the third time would be scrapped through fresh legislation. Under the existing law, nobody can become prime minister of the country for a third time. The National Assembly is scheduled to meet today.
As the media hype over the Musharraf-Benazir meeting gained momentum, leading newspapers including “The News” said Chattha could be the next caretaker premier.
Chattha, a prominent landlord and a Muslim Leaguer, was a minister in Zia-ul-Haq’s government. He became speaker of the National Assembly and held various Cabinet positions in the Nawaz Sharif-led Cabinet. His son Fayyaz Chattha is mayor (Nazim) of Gujranwala.
Chattha said he was in touch with Benazir because his Muslim League faction had been a PPP coalition partner from 1993 to 1996 but so far Benazir had not sought his opinion on the issue of caretaker prime minister.
“I believe she would nominate Aftab Shahban Mirani for the post,” he said. To a question if he would decline the offer even if it is made by Musharraf, Chattha said, “I want to contest elections and if I accept the post of a caretaker prime minister, I will be disqualified from the contest.
As per the existing law, Shaukat Aziz will have to step down as prime minister if he plans to contest elections but can continue if he has no plans to remain in politics.
When asked which party’s ticket he would use to contest elections, Chattha said, “Ahmad Nagar is my ancestral constituency and Muslim Leaguers have always supported me. If Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) fields my traditional rival Sarwar Cheema, then I will get additional votes from the PPP.”
