Pak PM consults allies on caretaker set-up

PTI

Islamabad, August 5

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has held a meeting with leaders of the allied parties to discuss the name of a caretaker prime minister to oversee general elections in the cash-strapped country as the government is about to complete its constitutional term.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Pakistan Democratic Movement and Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other coalition leaders attended the meeting on Friday, The Express Tribune newspaper reported on Saturday.

During the meeting, the PM took the leaders of the allied parties into confidence on the caretaker set-up and dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9.

Following the deliberation, sources in the ruling alliance said, the heads of the allied parties lauded Shehbaz’s roughly 15-month government and expressed satisfaction with his leadership.

Shehbaz, 71, became the PM in April last year after the National Assembly passed a no-confidence motion against then PM Imran Khan and ousted the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party from the top post. Khan’s PTI won the last general election in 2018.

During the meeting, sources said, the leadership of the ruling alliance deliberated upon different names for the caretaker prime minister and gave different suggestions about the future course of action.

The ruling coalition has held several meetings regarding the caretaker set-up but hasn’t yet reached any decision. On Thursday night, Sharif had formally told leaders of the allied parties that he would send the advice to the president for the dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9, hoping that the consensus would be reached on the caretaker prime minister’s name by then.

According to the Constitution, the National Assembly will stand dissolved as soon as the president signs the advice.

Article 58 of the Constitution (dissolution of the National Assembly) states that the president shall dissolve the National Assembly if so advised by the prime minister; and the National Assembly shall, unless sooner dissolved, stand dissolved at the expiration of 48 hours after the prime minister has so advised.

The move will prompt general elections in Pakistan within 90 days. The Constitution provides that if the assembly completes its tenure, elections are to be held in 60 days, but in case of premature dissolution - which will be the case here - this period is extended to 90 days.

Among those whose names have been taking rounds include former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, an independent lawmaker from Balochistan Aslam Bhootani, former finance minister Hafeez Sheikh and former principal secretary to prime minister Fawad Hassan Fawad, the paper said.

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