Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly (NA) Raja Riaz, on Thursday decided to hold another meeting on finalizing the name for Caretaker Prime Minister of the country.
It was confirmed by the Opposition Leader to the media after having first meeting with the outgoing premier on the matter.
The coalition government’s tenure officially concluded on Wednesday, following President Alvi’s dissolution of the lower house of Parliament. This action came shortly after Prime Minister Shehbaz signed a summary advocating for the dissolution, and the subsequent endorsement of this summary led to the dissolution of the federal cabinet as well.
The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, on Thursday morning, released a notification affirming the president’s decision to dissolve the National Assembly “with immediate effect.” This marked a formal transition of power and set the stage for the interim period until general elections, which are anticipated to be postponed due to the impending announcement of the latest census results.
During this transitional phase, Prime Minister Shehbaz will assume the role of caretaker prime minister. As stipulated by Article 94 of the Constitution, “The president may ask the prime minister to continue to hold office until his successor enters upon the office of prime minister.” This provision ensures continuity of leadership until a new premier is appointed.
Following their meeting, Raja Riaz addressed reporters outside the Prime Minister’s House, characterizing the discussions with Prime Minister Shehbaz as constructive and amicable.
While he refrained from disclosing the names of potential candidates for the caretaker prime minister position, Riaz revealed that six respectable individuals were under consideration.
“We will hold further deliberations tomorrow and hope that things will become pretty clear after that,” Raja Riaz added, expressing optimism about the impending decisions.
Both Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the outgoing opposition leader have a three-day window to finalize their nominee for the interim prime minister role. Should an agreement prove elusive, the matter will be escalated to a parliamentary committee. In the event of the committee’s inability to reach a decision, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will be tasked with selecting the caretaker prime minister from the provided list of names.
