Opposition parties fail to put up a joint PM candidate

ISLAMABAD: Opposition parties, in a meeting on Monday, failed to rally behind a joint candidate for the slot of prime minister as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) members submitted separate nomination papers.  

The opposition parties have yet to unite behind one candidate to oppose the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) nominee for prime minister — Shahid Khaqan Abbasi — who submitted his nomination papers to the assembly on Monday.

Although the PML-N holds a majority in the National Assembly and can easily elect its own candidate, the opposition intends to 'put up a fight'.

However, a meeting of opposition parties held in the chamber of Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah earlier failed to come up with a united candidate.  

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed proceeded to the National Assembly Secretariat after the meeting to submit Rasheed's nomination papers. 

Sources said the opposition parties did not agree to field a united candidate for prime minister, forcing PTI to go at it alone. 

Addressing the media later, Qureshi said the opposition should give a chance to Rasheed — one of the petitioners in the landmark Panama Papers case. 

Qureshi claimed the other opposition parties have asked for more time to ponder over the option of rallying behind Rasheed. 

National Assembly Opposition Leader, PPP's Khursheed Shah submitted his nomination papers, while MQM-P MNA Kishwar Zehra will be her party's candidate.   

Shah is the PPP's main candidate with Naveed Qamar being his covering candidate.

Also on Monday, Shah criticised PTI's 'hurried' decision of nominating Rasheed for premiership. Shah also criticised Imran Khan, who on Sunday lashed out at PPP supremo Asif Ali Zardari during the party's rally in Islamabad. 

PPP MPA from Sindh, Saeed Ghani, said on Monday that if he could, he would still not vote for Rasheed as the prime minister since the premiership is a serious and sensitive matter and should not be taken lightly.