Punjab Governor Salman Taseer has disclosed that the Parliamentary Committee of Pakistan Peoples Party Punjab and its MPAs have nominated PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari as a candidate for next President of Pakistan, after unanimously passing a resolution in its meeting.
While addressing a press conference at the Governor House on Thursday, he said it is a historical day that the party has chosen Asif Ali Zardari its presidential candidate. He also said the parliamentary committee is on Friday sending its recommendations to the Central Working Committee of PPP to nominate Zardari as President of the country.
"It is our prerogative to nominate a candidate since the PPP is country's largest political party representing all four provinces and at the Federal level. Zardari becoming a President would be victory for both Pakistan and democracy," he added.
While answering a question, the Governor said it is a democratic right of all political parties to nominate a presidential candidate and the party is hoping that PML-N and other concerned political parties would support their candidate for the slot of presidency. "The MQM has already extended its support for Zardari," he added.
According to him, the PPP Punjab wants Zardari to be the next President, but the party Co-chairman would take the final decision on the matter, and he might nominate another person for the slot. The party is committed, as expressed by Zardari, to do away with the Article 58(2)b.
On judges, he said there is a consensus among the coalition partners on the restoration of deposed judges, but there is difference of opinion on the procedure in this connection.
PPP's Punjab Ministers Raja Riaz Ahmed, Tanvir Ashraf Kaira, Ashraf Sohna, Rana Tanvir-ul-Islam, Neelum Jabbar, MPAs including Qasim Zia, Sajida Mir, Uzma Zahid Bokhari, Nazim Hussain Shah, Shuakat Mehmood Basra, Iftikhar Ali Babar Khitran, Pervaiz Rafique, Major Abdur Rehman Rana (Retd), PPP Lahore President Aziz-ur-Rehman Khan, Sami Ullah Khan and a large number of other parliamentarians were also present on the occasion.