Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The matter of picking a caretaker prime minster is being referred to the parliamentary committee as ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the opposition have failed to reach consensus on a name for the slot.

“There will be no more meetings between government and opposition on the issue,” Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Khursheed Shah told reporters on Friday, a day after a scheduled meeting between him and Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was cancelled. Shah said that after five unsuccessful rounds of talks with Prime Minister Abbasi, he will now be approaching the parliamentary committee.

The PPP leader said the PML-N had backed off from its earlier stance on the names for the caretaker prime minister. “Initially, the PPP was willing to nominate retired judges for the caretaker prime minister but the PML-N insisted that retired judges should not be nominated for the post. So we changed our mind and nominated Zaka Ashraf and Jalil Abbas Jilani,” he said. “The ruling party, however, later changed its stance and insisted on the names of retired judges,” he revealed.

Shah said that he will write a letter to speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq as it is time to take the matter to the parliamentary committee, adding that by Tuesday he will send the letter. “I will leave for my hometown and return on Monday, after which I will send the two proposed names to National Assembly speaker,” he said.

He said he will also write a letter to the prime minister, apprising him about his party’s reservations on the matter.

The term of the present government expires on May 31, after which the caretaker set-up will be put in place to hold elections which are expected to be held in July.

According to the constitution, the candidate for caretaker prime minister is decided by the incumbent prime minister and leader of the opposition in National Assembly. In case talks prove inconclusive, the speaker of the National Assembly convenes a committee which then discusses the existing nominations.

In the event that the parliamentary committee also fails to agree on a candidate, the matter is handed to the Election Commission of Pakistan. The ECP then takes a decision with consultation from all parties and announces a caretaker prime minister. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) veteran and Leader of Opposition in Senate Sherry Rehman also said that PML-N was creating hurdles in the finalisation of the caretaker setup. She said that the ruling party is now pitching in new names which were not previously discussed. “Not sure where PML-N got the names they’re submitting now,” she said. “The ruling party is backing down from what they earlier said … the entire party is in a shambles,” she added.

Published in Daily Times, May 26^th 2018.