KARACHI, Oct 18: Railways Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed, who earlier held the portfolio of information and was government’s spokesman, has said the ongoing ‘chatting’ between the government and Pakistan People’s Party could lead to Makhdoom Amin Fahim’s sudden fall from grace and Aftab Shaaban Mirani’s steady rise to prominence.

Shaikh Rashid, who is known for making cryptic but spot-on comments on the country’s puzzling politics, told Dawn from Saudi Arabia on Wednesday that he had reason to believe that the former defence minister would shortly steal the ARD chairman’s thunder.

“I know at the moment that I won’t find many takers for my assessment, but then what I am offering is food for thought,” he said. But his assertions drew prompt rebuttal from Mr Mirani who said: “As far as I am concerned, only Benazir Bhutto deserves to be prime minister.”

When it was pointed out to him that it was not being suggested that he would become prime minister, Mr Mirani said: “All I know is that a disinformation campaign is being initiated on the eve of an important meeting between former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.”

PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq had recently described the make-or-break Oct 19 meeting as the “last chance for Benazir and Nawaz to resolve differences”.

However, Shaikh Rashid insisted that the PPP and PML-N would not be able to form an electoral alliance. “They will contest the 2007 parliamentary elections separately,” he said, adding that the government’s expected embrace with the PPP had caused problems within the ruling PML.

“There are those who want to reach out to the PPP. But others are dead set against the idea of forming an electoral alliance, however temporary, with the PPP. Interestingly, it is the anti-PPP lobby that issues most press statements about the need for a rapprochement with the PPP. So now you know who they are trying to please,” he said.