By IANS
Islamabad : Renowned lawyer Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan is emerging as a potential opposition candidate against Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in his bid for re-election next month.
The only stumbling block, media reports said Wednesday, is the attitude of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that is in the process of striking a political deal and could end up supporting Musharraf.
A barrister and a PPP leader, Ahsan spearheaded the campaign in favour of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry who was suspended by Musharraf March 9. He was also Chaudhry’s chief counsel before the constitution bench that heard the case. Chaudhry has since been reinstated by the Supreme Court.
Opposition parties have begun talks among themselves to consider nominating Ahsan, Pakistan Online reported quoting unnamed political sources.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, the rightwing conglomerate of Islamist parties, and the Pakistan Oppressed Nations’ Movement (PONAM) have all agreed to accept Ahsan as a presidential candidate.
Ahsan has expressed his readiness to contest the poll, likely to take place on Sep 15, but has left the final decision to the opposition parties.
Ahsan is currently a lawmaker of the PPP, which is headed by former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. He has served as law minister in both the short-lived governments of Bhutto.
He is opposed to Musharraf seeking re-election to the presidency using the same electoral college – the federal parliament and the provincial assemblies – that had elected him in 2002.
He told the Pakistani National Assembly earlier this year that this would be illegal and unconstitutional.
Ahsan’s legal acumen, repartees with judges and the lawyers opposing him and his pleas for judiciary’s independence during the proceedings have earned the silver-haired lawyer several admirers.
Rated among the top 10 lawyers globally, the 1945-born Ahsan belongs to a political family and is a third generation lawmaker who has served long jail terms, at times without being put on trial.