Khosa resigns as Zardari picks influential alternate

Punjab Governor Saturday resigned as President Asif Ali Zardari has nominated Syed Ahmed Mehmood, influential politician to assume the governorship of the country’s biggest province.

Sardar Latif Khosa called on President Asif Ali Zardari in Karachi and tendered his resignation, officials said. The President accepted his resignation.

A leader of a breakaway faction of a Pakistan Muslim League (PML-F), has been nominated for the office after he parted with his party.

Mehmood, who belongs to a famous political family in southern Punjab, has served as minister of state and provincial minister in Punjab.

He recently met PML-F leader Pir Pagara and joined the Pakistan Peoples Party to become governor of Punjab, the province which plays key role in formation of governments in the center.

Political analysts are of the opinion that President Zardari picked the man from southern parts of Punjab for influence of his PPP in the parliamentary elections as the party is in dire need of support in the region to challenge the arch-rival Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N).

Mehmood, hailing from Rahim Yar Khan district, is an agriculturist and an industrialist, who has served as district mayor. He said the is the first cousin of former Prime Minister, Syed Yusuf Raza Gillani, who was behind the move to make him governor.

Khosa told reporters in Karachi that the party was important for him and not the post. He said that he would accept the leadership’s decision.

Critics term appointment of Mehmood as a politically-,motivated move ahead of the elections. However, the PML-N says that the PPP will not succeed to take political mileage out of the new governor appointment.

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Posted by Tahir Khan on Dec 22 2012. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.