November 2, 2002	Saturday	Sha’aban 26,1423

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 1: The PML-Q on Friday announced the name of Mir Zafarullah Jamali as its candidate for the prime minister’s office.

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the parliamentary leader of the PML-Q who was empowered by the party’s central executive committee and the parliamentary group to nominate the candidate for prime minister, made the announcement at a news conference.

Earlier, Chaudhry Shujaat and Chaudhry Pervez Elahi held a two-hour meeting with President Gen Pervez Musharraf and discussed with him various issues, including the nomination of the party’s prime ministerial candidate.

The PML-Q leader had also got clearance on Mr Jamali’s name from other power brokers during the last two days, sources claimed.

The long-awaited announcement established that the PML-Q had decided to go with other parties than the People’s Party Parliamentarians and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.

Chaudhry Shujaat avoided a direct reply to the question about his meeting with President Musharraf, but confirmed it indirectly: “You may write whatever you want”.

However, Sheikh Rashid, the MNA-elect, told this reporter: “Yes. They met the president.”

Mr Jamali denied he was among the delegation which had met the president, though it was speculated he accompanied Chaudhry Shujaat at the meeting.

Chaudhry Shujaat said there were four candidates whose names were being considered for the prime minister’s slot — Mr Jamali, Khurshid Mehmud Qasoori, Humayun Akhtar Khan and Ghaus Baskh Mahar.

Mr Mahar was conspicuous by his absence at the news conference.

With this announcement speculations about naming Zubaida Jalal as the premier’s candidate also died down.

Asked whether the PML-Q had decided to go alone for the formation of the government, Chaudhry Shujaat said the party had emerged as the largest parliamentary group in the country and it had the first right to lead the government.

About the nomination of the prime ministerial candidate, Chaudhry Shujaat said the country had had prime ministers from Punjab and Sindh twice, while the Frontier province had also been getting its share, to some extent, in power at the Centre.

However, he said, there was a sense of deprivation spreading in the smaller provinces, especially Balochistan, as they had remained without proportionate representation and “we have tried to end it by nominating Jamali as our candidate for premier”.

Chaudhry Shujaat asserted that the PML-Q’s intention was to end the impression that Punjab had been dominating in controlling the country’s power and resources for the last 56 years and that the smaller provinces were deprived of their rightful share.

Referring to the Grand National Alliance of which the PML-Q is a component member, Chaudhry Shujaat said a formal announcement of Mr Jamali’s nomination would be made after a GNA meeting on Saturday. He further said that PML-Q president Mian Azhar and National Alliance leader Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari would also attend the meeting.

Giving reason for delay in the announcement of the party candidate for the PM’s office, he said the matter involved a series of discussions within the party and with other parties on a consensus name.

Earlier on his return from presidency, Chaudhry Shujaat went into consultations with his party top-brass, excluding Mian Azhar who was in the dark about the prime ministerial candidate till late afternoon when he spoke to newsmen separately.

Mr Jamali went to persuade Mr Leghari to be present at the announcement of the PML-Q nominee. However he came back with a message that Mr Leghari would be present at Saturday’s joint news conference.

APP adds: “A formal announcement to this effect will be made at a joint press conference of the GNA, MQM, PML-Z and PML-J on Saturday,” Chaudhry Shujaat said.