ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) decided to field Makhdoom Shahabuddin as its candidate for the premiership while Raja Parvaiz Ashraf would be the covering candidate, sources said.
The election of the new leader of the house would be held on Friday as the National Assembly session has been convened. Earlier, PPP parliamentary party could not come up with a decision regarding the nomination of a candidate for the top slot. The ruling party legislators had empowered party’s Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari to take a decision regarding the new prime minister. President Asif Ali Zaradri after consultation with the coalition partners and other stakeholders took the decision and brought forward Makhdoom Shahabuddin, the PPP stalwart from the southern Punjab, as the new chief executive of the country.