ISLAMABAD: A formal round of consultation over the nomination for a caretaker premier between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Raja Riaz concluded on Thursday after they two held a meeting at the Prime Minister’s House.
The consultation became due after the dissolution of the 15th NA of Pakistan last night, with President Arif Alvi’s approval of the summary sent by PM Shehbaz.
“The president dissolved the National Assembly on the advice of the prime minister under Article 58-1 of the Constitution,” read an official statement issued by the President’s Office on X, formerly known as Twitter, late Wednesday.
PM Shehbaz has formally invited Riaz for the meeting for consultation in a letter.
In his letter, the premier said that the president has dissolved the National Assembly under Article 58(1) of the constitution and that he is ready to fulfill his constitutional responsibility for the appointment of the caretaker prime minister.
A process to appoint a caretaker prime minister will be conducted under Article 224-A of the Constitution, which will usher in an interim government to oversee an election.
PM Shehbaz and Riaz will hold consultations to finalise one of the names proposed for the interim prime minister’s post.
It may be noted that three names have been proposed, including two nominations — former diplomat Jalil Abbas Jilani and former chief justice of Pakistan Tassaduq Hussain Jilani — sent by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).
However, there’s no public announcement by the Pakistan Mulsim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in this regard.
