Will Pak PM have to go?

Dec 16, 2010 - Shafqat Ali |

Islamabad

As Pakistan’s PPP-led government struggles to remain in power after the departure of Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazal), speculation is growing that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani might have to go to avert a mid-term election.
If the MQM, another ally, also quits as it is threatening to, the government will clearly have lost its majority, a source close to the leadership here said. The MQM will take a final decision by Friday. In that event, analysts say the government can still survive for another year if it can rope in new allies, who will almost cerrtainly insist on a change at the top.
“There will be an in-house change before the mid-term elections”, the source told this newspaper. Elections are due only in 2013.
Mr Gilani has, meanwhile, contacted leaders of a splinter group of the PML (Quaid-e-Azam) to cobble together a new majority.

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