Source: Globe and Mail

SAEED SHAH

From Tuesday’s Globe and Mail

February 26, 2008 at 5:05 AM EST

ISLAMABAD — Amin Fahim, the likely new prime minister charged with pulling Pakistan out of crisis, is not a stereotypical political heavyweight. A soft-spoken gentleman and poet, his reputation is that of a consensus-builder, not a headstrong leader.

Although he has not yet been named as the Pakistan Peoples Party’s nominee, the 68-year-old’s ascension is considered all but a formality after last week’s election, in which his party won the most seats.

Short on charisma and low-key even when addressing large crowds, he nevertheless has the guile to have negotiated the shark-infested waters of Pakistani politics for more than three decades.

“He’s the kind of person in our political culture who doesn’t tread on toes,” said PPP colleague Abida Hussain. “In the South Asian tradition, he’s acceptable, like a Manmohan Singh [of India], he’s that kind of self-effacing, mild sort of person.”

Mr. Fahim’s knack for not making enemies means that he is also believed to be the army’s choice for the job. And he made clear in an interview broadcast over the weekend that Pervez Musharraf need not fear him.

“I think there’s no need at the moment [to impeach Mr. Musharraf], but parliament is sovereign. … We should not rock the boat at this time. We must have a civil transition of power from military to civilians,” he said.

Mr. Fahim’s political prestige comes from the fact that he is a renowned spiritual leader, a pir, not through his personal devotion but because he comes from a line of revered holy men.

That gives him two million followers, mostly in his native southern province of Sindh, from the Sufi brand of Islam, which is far removed from the obscurantist variety that breeds extremists. In his deeply conservative backwater region, he is a “feudal” landowner and leads a traditional life at odds with the progressive philosophy of the PPP - but typical of its leaders.

Observers say he has two overriding qualities that make him perfect for the role: He is deeply loyal, and he comes from the same province as the party’s founding family, the Bhuttos.

Regional identities matter in Pakistan, which is economically and politically dominated by Punjabis. After Ms. Bhutto’s assassination at the hands of what many saw as the “Punjabi establishment,” another Sindhi is seen as necessary.

Mr. Fahim’s devotion to the party is unquestioned in a country where switching sides is a regular part of the political game. Mr. Musharraf offered him the prime ministership in 2002 on condition that he abandon Ms. Bhutto. He refused.

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Tags: Amin Fahin, Elections, PPP, Prime Minister