Next prime minister in offing

The caption will certainly not be liked by one for sure but at the same time in the given circumstances when the incumbent PM Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani is to appear before Supreme Court of Pakistan on 13^th instant in connection with contempt of court who knows what could be the verdict and hence it will be quite prudent to at least short list those names who could be in the queue and aspiring to be next head of the government even if temporary.

PM of Pakistan is not just head of the government as it is mostly understood and is the case with most of the countries of the world rather the ground reality demands that the aspiring candidate must possess some pre-requisites to be eligible to occupy the throne and not otherwise. The first and the foremost qualification of the candidate is that he / she should be completely subordinate to the boss-President of Pakistan simply because PM tenure is not that what law stipulates rather it is purely dependent upon the sweet will of the President of Pakistan. You just revert back to our history pages and you will find out that some of our PMs had been removed because they did not blindly align with President and hence they had to go back to pavilion. The most recent example is that of Jamali who was the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League which had obtained majority in National Assembly hence he had to be inducted as PM for the full term of the assembly but he did not complete even half of the term when Gen Pervez Musharraf being the President just sacked him from premiership. Needless to mention, Jamali could not do much at his own initiative rather each and every time he had to seek the approval of his boss but yet he had touched the point of saturation and which could not be pocketed anymore and President Gem Musharraf removed him with a stroke of pen resulting in that the leader of house had to pack up and leave the chair for some favorite. Shaukat Aziz was plotted by President to be the next PM and therefore logistical steps were taken and mock elections were conducted wherein Shaukat had to win so that he can occupy PM chair. Shaukat Aziz was very much thick and thin with the President so the two worked hand and hand till the last day.

As far as Gilani is concerned, he has not only crossed all the limits of obedience towards President Asif Ali Zardari but has also blatantly defended him to the extent that now none but his own neck is being tightened by SC while the President is just lying on cozy couch and watching television while his most obedient subordinate is likely to be indicted and not only removed from his job but may be sentenced to jail as well. What else President can demand from Prime Minister? What prompted PM to bow down to this extent? How much PM had lost if at all lost if he had refused to obey his boss to such an extreme? What signal he is giving to the one who is to be next PM of Pakistan?

Believing that Supreme Court gives a verdict against Gilani who then is to be removed from the office of Prime Minister of Pakistan but this is not the end of it since someone is be Prime Minister in any case but it is not that easy to personify as to who could be our next head of the government though there will be one for sure under all circumstances. Remember that since Pakistan People Party is in the majority hence come what may, none but someone from PPP only would be the next PM. At times too many plus points create so many hurdles which cannot be surmounted so easily and therefore at this point of time it is not that easy even for the President Zardari to say as to who will be his next right hand and the situation is too grim not because PPP is short on hands rather on the contra there are many who are expecting to be the next PM. Not most of them, rather, all of them have their own merits, no question of any demerits, and once you read the candidature of one person you are convinced of his / her suitability for the job but when you read the next resume you tilt towards the second candidate forgetting the earlier one and this process of reading and evaluation of candidature goes on and on and none but Aristotle or Plato may only be able to decide as to who is the best. Doesn’t it prove how richly fertile we are to own brigade and not platoon of promising Prime Ministers of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Let me hurriedly go through the names of those only who are the most suited ones and I can bet on my life that none can nominate as rich candidates as I have picked up but I have an humble request that please do not hurl stones on me if your favorite is not listed here. All of them can be grouped into two separate blocks which refer to their gender and therefore both as respect and courtesy, I will name those who are females but very much suitable to be our Prime Minister. Hina Rabbani Khar is only our but she is an acclaimed beauty too. Her specially tailored dresses with matching jewelry, purse and shoes have already singled her out amongst the lot. She by her exposure has proved to be born with a silver spoon. So she fits in to be promoted as PM whereas Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan also fits in not because she is also a minister like Hina but she is much senior to her not only in age and education but weight also. Moreover she speaks out quite aloud on all the topics with no relevance to the subject. Remember she once wept also so how can she be ignored. Faryal Talpur is also not that weak candidate in any case though she is neither a doctor like Firdous nor she is a minister like Hina but being a sister of none but President Asif Ali Zardari she edges over those who have been mentioned earlier. She is also from Larkana the place from where Zardari has come so she can rightly pull strings in case if she is in need of but then Zardari will have no option but to appoint her as PM.

Amongst male I cannot and should not forget those who themselves had aspired to be PM but they lost the race as Gillani was picked up as PM. The two gentlemen are Makhdoom Fahim who is commerce minister also whereas the other gentleman is Ch Mukhtar Ahmad who looks after defense ministry.  Both of them have so many plus points to their credit hence anyone of them will suit us. Isn’t it a sin if Maulana Fazalur Rehman is included as an aspirant to be the next head of the government? In addition to his own merits, he has the liver which frightens Zardari whose government each and every time needs support from other PPP and thus let me say that he should not be discarded in the first round. This gives impetus to MQM who is also an ally of PPP and therefore it is quite but natural that the two heavy weights of MQM namely Dr Farooq Sattara and Babar Ghauri must not be forgetten unless and until Zardari himself turns against his own skin.

Who is next PM then? I am too naïve to pick up anyone but perhaps you can be the best judge to solve the puzzle but in case if you too are equally perplexed like me and do not do who should the next PM then, if not annoying, let is spin a coin. Who is next PM in offing?

                     *********************************************