President Dr. Arif Alvi invited Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and departing Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) Raja Riaz on Friday to offer a nominee for interim PM appointment by tomorrow (August 12).
The president requested the identities in a letter to the prime minister and the opposition leader, according to details.
President Alvi stated in a letter that under Article 224A of the Constitution, PM Shehbaz and Raja Riaz were expected to suggest a name for the appointment of a caretaker prime minister within three days following the dissolution of the National Assembly.
“The president appoints caretaker prime minister in consultation with the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly,” he continued.
He stated that on August 9, the prime minister encouraged him to dissolve the National Assembly under Article 58 (1) of the Constitution, which he authorised and dissolved the assembly on the same day.
“According to Article 224 (1A) of the Pakistan Constitution, the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly may propose a suitable person for appointment as caretaker Prime Minister not later than August 12, 2023,” the president stated.
It is worth noting that after the National Assembly (NA) was dissolved on August 9, PM Shehbaz and opposition leader Raja Riaz began meetings to select a candidate for temporary premier.
Both leaders are expected to meet again today for more discussions.
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.
Who will be the Caretaker PM of Pakistan?
The topic of who will be the Caretaker Prime Minister, who would lead the country to the approaching election, is circulating in rumour mills around the country. The impending meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and opposition leader Raja Riaz is expected to decide whether the caretaker prime minister will be a bureaucrat or a politician.
According to government insiders, a bureaucrat is the frontrunner in the contest for caretaker prime minister.
Among those considered for the position of interim premier are Ishaq Dar, Hafeez Sheikh, and Justice Shakeel Baloch. Hafeez Sheikh, a former finance minister of Pakistan, is also being considered for a major position in the forthcoming caretaker administration.
Yesterday, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) proposed former Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani as interim Prime Minister. According to sources, during a meeting between former President Asif Zardari and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, the PPP proposed Jalil Abbas Jilani as caretaker PM.
According to sources, Nawaz Sharif had no objections to Jilani’s nomination for caretaker PM. Jilani is a distant cousin of PPP leader Yousaf Raza Gillani.
