Daily Times

Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Khursheed Shah remarked on Monday that the opposition had yet to submit a name for caretaker prime minister.

The upcoming general elections depend on who will be elected as the caretaker PM, he said.

Speaking to the media, Shah said that another meeting would be held with the PM to discuss the issue on April 11. “I have yet to finalise the matter in discussions with opposition allies. They haven’t submitted a final name. My party has to meet and decide on a name as well. The government might submit a name too,” he said.

He said he expected formal discussions on the matter to begin in the first week of May. Criticising the ruling PML-N, Shah said the party had failed to uphold political traditions and was bringing needless innovations. “If the prime minister doesn’t accept the Senate chairman then he does accept the Parliament either.”

Over the issue surrounding the name of new Islamabad airport, the opposition leader said that if the new airport was not named after Benazir Bhutto then the party would challenge the issue in the court.

The government is expected to conclude its five-year term on May 31, after which the caretaker government will take over to hold general elections, expected to be held in July or the first week of August.

As per the constitution, the caretaker prime minister is appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the opposition leader in the National Assembly. Both the premier and the opposition leader present names of three nominees each from which the consensus candidate is appointed as the caretaker prime minister.

Published in Daily Times, April 10^th 2018.