The choice of the caretaker premier will be finalised by today (August 12), according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
According to state-run Radio Pakistan, the prime minister acknowledged this in a conversation with the media in Islamabad.
“Coalition partners will be taken into confidence on the matter before making a final decision,” he said, according to the report.
After the National Assembly (NA) was dissolved prematurely on August 9, Prime Minister Shehbaz and opposition leader Raja Riaz began meetings to pick a nominee for caretaker premier.
Both leaders are expected to meet again today for more discussions.
PM Shehbaz confessed that the government was forced to tax petroleum goods due to International Monetary Fund (IMF) regulations that imposed a financial hardship on the people. “Inflation was high due to international commodity prices and the war in Ukraine,” he noted.
Within three days, the prime minister and the opposition leader must achieve an agreement on the top post of the interim setup. If they are unable to reach an agreement, the matter will be determined by a legislative body within three days; if the deadlock persists, the electoral commission will publish the choice of the caretaker prime minister within two days.
