Pakistan: Five names shortlisted for post of caretaker prime minister, says Defence Minister Khawaja Asif
Jul 29, 2023
Islamabad [Pakistan], July 29 : Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PMLN) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have shortlisted five names for the slot of the caretaker prime minister and all are politicians, The News International Newspaper reported.
The News International is an English-language newspaper in Pakistan.
The Pakistan Defence Minister said no offer had been made to him to take up the slot. “The PPP and PMLN together have finalized four to five names which will be discussed with other parties,” he said, adding that a name would be finalised within a week.
ThDefence Minister further said, “The leadership of allied parties will make a final decision in this regard. In my view, elections should be held in 90 days and this too suits us. It is my personal opinion that elections should take place prior to 90 days. I think assemblies will be dissolved two days before their tenure. Had the field been left vacant in the assembly, it would have created too much difficulty.”
Khawaja Asif also clarified that he had neither proposed the name of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for the slot of caretaker prime minister nor expressed a desire at any stage. He said Dar had never expressed such intentions at any forum.
Talking about his statement that PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari was not a trustworthy person, Asif said it was his personal opinion, adding that he was still cautious about him, according to The News International.
Sources in the PPP confirmed five names for caretaker PM have been shared with the party.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that no one in the government had proposed Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s name for the caretaker prime minister. “Neither was Ishaq Dar’s name suggested nor was it rejected. It can be a rumour,” the interior minister said while speaking to the Geo News programme “Naya Pakistan”.
Rana Sanaullah said that currently, talks were underway about whether a bureaucrat or a politician should be appointed to the coveted post. “In case there is a consensus that a politician can be appointed, then it can either be Ishaq Dar or any other politician from any party,” he said. He, however, added the government would try to appoint a person acceptable to all sides, according to The News International.
