Daily Times

More often than not, politicians clash with one another and enable other institutions to infringe on their turf; a notable example is the nomination of the caretaker chief minister of Punjab. After a legislative committee appointed by the Punjab Assembly speaker failed to reach an agreement on a nominee for the position, the ball has been passed to the Election Commission of Pakistan for arbitration. The six-member committee, comprised of equal numbers from the Treasury and the Opposition, had only one day to deliberate on the nominations given by outgoing Chief Minister Parvez Elahi and opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz.

The establishment of a caretaker government is contrary to democratic norms; the parties should feel confident holding elections under the current administration, but a careless move by PML-N lawmakers in 2009, at the time the 18th Amendment was passed, forced the PPP government and its coalition partners to impose the contentious caretaker set up requirements. According to Article 224-A of the Constitution, the parliamentary panel had three days to choose one of the four nominees, but because the panel’s establishment wasn’t announced right away, it had only one day to consider the options.

A quick glance at the candidates shortlisted by Chief Minister Parvez Elahi-Cabinet Division Secretary Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera and former Punjab Chief Secretary Naveed Akram Cheema-and those chosen by Opposition Leader Hamza Shehbaz-Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Ahad Cheema and journalist and media house owner Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi-provides enough information for everyone to know who should be chosen. Mohsin Naqvi appears to be the most qualified applicant out of the group for a number of reasons. He possesses the qualifications of an unbiased journalist and is a well-educated individual. His media initiatives helped establish a trend that emphasized local and grassroots news reporting and elevated the voices of local residents on a national scale. He is familiar with fundamental facts and has connections to the community.

Mohsin Naqvi would know that to receive praise from everyone, he would have to be more than a neutral chief minister. No doubt, he is a more impartial choice when compared to the other prominent individuals mentioned, who have experience in civil-legal bureaucracy and parliament. He is an adventurous and risk-taking journalist. All will look to Punjab as the trend-setter of an incoming mandate as it goes to the polls. He will have to make decisions with the wider picture of national interests in mind, and he can do it with ease because of his experience in both public and commercial organizations. *