Pakistan: PM Shehbaz Sharif hopeful of finalising caretaker PM today
Aug 12, 2023
Islamabad [Pakistan], August 12 : Following his last round of discussions with Opposition Leader Raja Riaz in Islamabad on Saturday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the name of the caretaker prime minister is expected to be finalised today, according to Geo News.
As Saturday is the third and final day to make a decision following the dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9, Geo News stated that if the PM and Riaz cannot agree on a name today, the issue will then be sent to a parliamentary committee.
The prime minister, in his address to the leaders of the coalition parties, spoke about his expected meeting with the opposition leader to consult him for finalising the name for the top government post.
According to reports, Raja Riaz has suggested the name of Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani as the interim prime minister with general elections expected to take place early next year.
The prime minister's comment comes after President Arif Alvi wrote a letter to him, reminding him and the opposition leader to suggest a “suitable person” for the interim premier by August 12.
“As provided in Article 224 (1A) of the Constitution of Pakistan, the Prime Minister and leader of the Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly may propose a suitable person for the appointment of care-taker Prime Minister not later than 12th August,” said President Alvi in the letter to the PM.
The premier added that the president has asked him to send the name of the caretaker prime minister by 12 am on Saturday night.
As per the country's Constitution, if the prime minister and the NA opposition leader fail to agree on the name within three days, the matter goes to the parliamentary committee for the appointment of a caretaker PM, Geo News reported.
As per the law, the premier and the opposition leader will send their respective preferences for the coveted post to the parliamentary delegation.
The parliamentary committee will then have to finalise the name of the caretaker prime minister within three days. But if the committee also fails in reaching a consensus on the name, then the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will pick the caretaker prime minister within two days from the names proposed by the opposition and the government, Geo News reported.
The premier, when speaking with journalists in Islamabad on Friday, had said that the coalition partners will be taken into confidence over the matter before taking a final decision.
