ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Syed Khursheed Shah, will decide the name of the caretaker prime minister today.
According to sources privy to the developments, both the top guns will meet in the Parliament House to discuss the names of their nominees, which have been closely guarded until now.
The interim PM will be in office until the general elections in July and if Abbasi and Shah makes any decision today, the two leaders will meet again to finalise the matter.
However, if the prime minister and the opposition leader fail to agree on a name, both will announce three names which will be referred to a parliamentary committee to be formed by National Assembly Speaker, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.
Even if the committee fails to decide the interim PM, the nominee’s list will be referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan which will then exercise its authority to make the decision.
Friday’s huddle will not be the first meeting between the politicians as both leaders have already met several times to discuss the issue. Their last meeting was held on May 7 where it was decided that the discussions concerning caretaker set up would be concealed to avoid any speculations in media. Both PPP and PML-N also agreed to not disclose the names of their respective nominees for the office.
However, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had last month leaked the names of its candidates for the offices of caretaker prime minister and chief ministers in three provinces to the media.
Its nominees for the caretaker prime minister were: former chief justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, businessman Abdur Razzaq Dawood and economist Dr Ishrat Hussain.
The term of the present government expires on May 31 after which the caretaker government will be installed to hold free and fair elections which are expected to be held in late July or August.
