PPP fields Khursheed Shah as candidate for NA Speaker

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Saturday nominated Syed Khursheed Shah for the post of the National Assembly speaker as a joint candidate of the grand alliance of political parties.

The grand alliance of the political parties -- PML-N, PPP, MMA and other smaller parties -- in a power share formula against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has given the post of the NA speaker to the PPP, the deputy speaker to MMA and prime minister to PML-N.

The candidates for prime minister and deputy speaker would be announced soon.

“PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has nominated Syed Khursheed Shah as a joint candidate for the slot of National Assembly Speaker after consultation,” said Senator Mustafa Khokhar, Spokesman for PPP chairman while announcing the party decision. He said despite having serious reservations about the general elections, it was decided to sit in Parliament to give tough time to the PTI and raise a strong voice against the rigging in the elections.

“We will contest the PTI on each and every constitutional post in parliament,” he said. Syed Khursheed Shah, who served as opposition leader in the previous National Assembly and has continuously been elected in the National Assembly since 1990, while in 1988, he contested for a provincial assembly seat and won it, and after it he had continuously been elected from Sukkur for the National Assembly.

The political analysts opined that Syed Khursheed Shah can upset the PTI on the constitutional post as some of the PTI members and even from those parties, which are supporting the PTI in the formation of the government ,would support him.