Pakistan Muslim League President Chaudhry Shujaat Husain formally named on Tuesday Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim as the candidate for the office of Sindh chief minister.
Chaudhry Shujaat, along with MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar, told a news conference here that Dr Arbab's name was finalised after consensus among the PML and its allies in the provincial assembly. He will replace Ali Mohammad Mahar.
The PML leader has already directed Dr Arbab to meet other leaders, including Dr Imtiaz Sheikh, to remove mutual differences.
"I don't think, the Governor of Sindh is also being removed," he replied when asked about possibility of the MQM governor's exit, following bowing out of chief minister Ali Mohammad Mahar on Monday.
MQM parliamentary party leader in the National Assembly Dr Farooq Sattar said his party was optimistic that Dr Arbab would take along all the coalition partners.
The PML president and PPPP-Patriot chairman Rao Sikandar Iqbal vehemently rejected reports on removal of Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali, saying there was no chance of in-house change in the Centre.
He ruled out possibility of naming a new Leader of the House in the National Assembly till 2007 amid reports that after the budget, Jamali would be shown the door.
However, he reiterated that all the ruling coalition lawmakers in the Parliament were capable of becoming prime minister. Shujaat said in Lahore last week that as many as 50 PML legislators were aspirants of the slot of premier.
The PML chief parried a question about differences between Prime Minister Jamali and the President's top aide and secretary of the National Security Council Tariq Aziz.
Rao Sikandar maintained that premier Jamali would complete the tenure and, "this is what is our own desire and we reassure support to him". He preferred to remain silent when asked what would be his party's policy if Jamali was to be removed.
SWEARING-IN TODAY: Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim is set to be sworn in as the new chief minister of Sindh some time on Wednesday afternoon.
He will replace Mohammed Ali Mahar who tendered his resignation on reasons of 'personal grounds'.
As was required by a notification issued by Sindh Provincial Assembly Secretary regarding receiving nominations for candidature for the Leader of the House on Tuesday between 9am and 4pm, only one nomination of Arbab Ghulam Rahim was received.
According to Sindh Assembly Secretary, eleven motions were received for the purpose of ascertaining confidence of the majority of the members of the House under clause (2A) of Article 130 of the Constitution of Pakistan. All were in respect of Rahim.
Those who submitted the motions were Shoaib Bukhari, Sardar Ahmed, Naveed Jameel, Irfanullah Khan Marwat, Manzoor Leghari, Ali Bux Shah, Iftikhar Ali, Manzoor Panhwar, Manzoor Hussain Shah, Sadaruddin Shah and Nadir Akmal Khan Leghari.
The Sindh Assembly will meet at 11 am on Wednesday for the purpose of ascertaining which member of the Assembly commands the confidence of the majority of the members, as required under clause (2A) of Article 130 of the Constitution of Pakistan.
On completion of the business, the Provincial Assembly will stand prorogued, according to an official notification issued from Assembly Secretariat on Tuesday.
Sources said that Rahim had settled all issues with the MQM chief in London which included his relationship with MQM and other coalition partners in the Sindh Cabinet.
It is learnt that PML chief, Chaudhry Shujaat, and Farooq Leghari have played a major role in manipulating this appointment as CM in the wake of the recent acts of terrorism in Karachi.
Political sources said that Mahar had nothing to do with the acts of terrorism or indiscipline among the law enforcement agencies or their inability to control deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi.
They said that instead of extending a helping hand to Mahar to control the deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi the political leaders supporting him found a scapegoat in Mahar and removed him.
Though Mahar has said that he has resigned on 'personal grounds', the Federal Minister for Information had, on June 1, hinted at top level changes in Sindh.
Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad has asked political commentators not to give a twist to the situation and take the change as normal. "Mahar Sahib has resigned on personal reasons," he told newsmen on Monday.