Interim PM: Deadlock continues

ISLAMABAD: The much-trumpeted meeting between Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah to pick a caretaker prime minister ended without any result as both failed to reach consensus on a single name. Both decided to meet again in day or two to agree on a name or to leave the matter to the parliamentary committee to take a decision.

If the prime minister and opposition leader do not agree on a name in their next meeting, the matter will be referred to the parliamentary committee for the decision and in case the committee fails to make any decision within three days, the matter will be referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for final decision.

“It will be good for parliament if this matter is resolved in the next meeting and if not, a committee will be constituted, to which the names will be sent within three days and the majority decision will be implemented,” said the opposition leader while talking to newsmen after the meeting with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

The opposition said utmost efforts were made to reach a consensus between the leader of the House and leader of the opposition on the name of the caretaker prime minister. “The prime minister would think some more on the matter, so that the finalised name is agreed upon by the government as well as the opposition,” he said.

Syed Khursheed Shah said the prime minister informed him that they should consider one or two names more in day or two. “The prime minister says that your proposed names are also good and also ours but need more consideration,” he said.

Syed Khursheed Shah said he had put forward the names of senior bureaucrats for consideration for the post of caretaker prime minister.

During the meeting, Khursheed Shah complained to the prime minister that he (PM) and Nawaz Sharif had said thisby him would be final, but you are now retracting your statement.” In response to the complaint, the prime minister assured him of talking to senior leadership in this regard.

When asked whether the government insisted on any particular name in the meeting, Syed Khursheed Shah said the government had not insisted on a particular name. According to sources, former prime minister and PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif is not in favour of appointing a retired justice or bureaucrat as the caretaker premier, and hence PM Abbasi asked for more time on the matter.

The government is believed to have suggested names of former chief justice of Pakistan Justice (R) Nasirul Mulk, Justice (R) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani – also a former chief justice – and former State Bank governor Dr Shamshad Akhtar.

The Pakistan People’s Party has finalised the names of Zaka Ashraf and Jalil Abbas Jilani for the caretaker prime minister while the PTI has suggested the names of the ex-governor State Bank of Pakistan Dr Ishrat Hussain, ex-Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice (R) Tassaduq Hussain Jilani and ex-commerce minister Abdul Razak Dawood for the post of caretaker prime minister.