ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed confidence that the name of the caretaker prime ,inister will be finalized by Saturday (today).
It must be mentioned that today is the last day for formal consultations between the prime minister and the opposition leader In this regard, the opposition leader’s meeting with the prime minister is expected at 3 PM.
The three-day constitutional period will end at 12:00 AM tonight. If there is no consensus on caretaker prime minister today, the matter will be handed over to the parliamentary committee
The parliamentary committee will have three days to take a decision. The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition will send two names each to the eight-member committee formed by the Speaker
If the parliamentary committee could not decide within three days, the matter will go to the Election Commission. The Chief Election Commissioner will appoint one of the four names as caretaker prime minister within two days.
Talking to journalists on Friday, the outgoing prime minister said coalition partners will be taken into confidence over the matter before taking a final decision.
The prime minister expressed annoyance over a letter sent by President Dr Arif Alvi, asking the premier and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly (NA) Raja Riaz to propose a name for caretaker PM by August 12.
The prime minister said that a decision related to the appointment of a caretaker PM will be taken soon. “What was the hurry that President Alvi sent the letter,” he said, expressing his displeasure over the move.
“The President should have read the Constitution before writing the letter as I have 8 full days,” Shehbaz Sharif said, adding: “Until the caretaker premier is appointed, I am the prime minister.”
President Dr Arif Alvi asked the prime minister and the leader of opposition in the outgoing National Assembly to propose a suitable person for appointment of Caretaker Prime Minister not later than August 12, 2023.
In a letter to the prime minister and the opposition leader, President Alvi said under Article 224A of the Constitution, the Prime Minister and Leader of Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly were required to propose name of a person for appointment of care-taker prime minister within three days of dissolution of National Assembly.
He said the prime minister advised him on August 9 for dissolution of National Assembly under Article 58 (1) of the Constitution which he approved and dissolved the assembly on same day.
