Pakistan New PM: Pakistan’s outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the leader of the opposition will hold talks again on Friday on the issue of nominating a caretaker prime minister for general elections to be held later this year. A day after the National Assembly (NA) was dissolved, Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday met opposition leader Raja Riaz to exchange a list of potential candidates for the coveted post. A statement said that the meeting took place at the Prime Minister’s residence.
“No rush to decide on name for caretaker prime minister”
According to the news of ‘Dawn’ newspaper, after this, Riyaz talked to media persons in Parliament House, in which he said that he is in no hurry to decide the name for the acting Prime Minister. The newspaper said that it is also believed that the outgoing Prime Minister will announce the name of the Caretaker Prime Minister on August 12, but the swearing-in ceremony will take place on the evening of August 14 or the next day.
“Shahbaz Sharif wants to remain in office till August 14”
Some in political circles believe that Shehbaz Sharif wants to stay in office till August 14 so that he can attend the flag-hoisting ceremony on Independence Day, after which a caretaker prime minister will be sworn in. According to the constitution, Shehbaz Sharif can act as caretaker prime minister until the head of the interim arrangement is appointed. Shehbaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s desire to see its person in office is believed to be one of the reasons for the delay in naming the head of the interim arrangement.
Both the parties did not reveal the names of their candidates.
Sources said PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party leader Asif Ali Zardari are deciding on the issue of appointing a caretaker prime minister in consultation with a “third party”. Both parties have not named their nominees, although Senate President Sadiq Sanjrani has emerged as “one of the strongest contenders” for the post. He held separate meetings with Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
A senior PML-N leader told Dawn that Sanjrani is “one of the strongest candidates”. “Senate chairman could be Chupa Rustom,” he said. Other possible contenders include former diplomat Jilal Abbas Jilani, former finance ministers Hafeez Sheikh and Ishaq Dar, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former principal secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad and former judge Tasadduk Jilan is included. Riaz said that no “imported” person would be made the head of the interim arrangement. He said, “We will not reveal the name of the caretaker prime minister ahead of time.”
A source in the Prime Minister’s Office told Dawn newspaper that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Riaz have two more days to decide on the name of the Caretaker Prime Minister. A source said that it will be announced by Saturday (August 12). “They cannot go beyond the three-day time, otherwise the matter will automatically go to a parliamentary committee,” he said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif dissolved the National Assembly on August 9, three days before its mandated term, so the National Assembly was dissolved on August 9, three days before its mandated term. According to the constitution, the next general election will be held in 90 days.
Shehbaz Sharif and Riaz have three days to agree on a caretaker prime minister, otherwise the speaker of the dissolved parliament will appoint an eight-member committee, consisting of four MPs each from the ruling party and the opposition, to form an opinion. Will be Both the parties can put forward a maximum of two names for the top post, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.
The committee has three days to reach a consensus, failing which all names considered during its meetings are sent to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) which will within 48 hours appoint one of them as interim prime minister. . The election is expected to be delayed by a few months as the new census results are approved, making delimitation a constitutional obligation before the election. The ECP is bound to delimitate within 120 days and then announce the election schedule.