Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has demanded that a "politician" be picked as the caretaker prime minister, as the government is about to dissolve next month with consultations for the caretaker setup underway.
Senior PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira, during Geo News' programme 'Geo Pakistan', said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has already kick-started consultations with allied parties on selecting an interim setup.
Kaira said the prime minister would consult with the opposition leader after deliberations with coalition partners.
The PPP leader's statement comes after PM Shehbaz's announcement that the government will hand over the reins to the interim rulers next month, before the completion of the assembly's tenure.
The early dissolution of the National Assembly — which is completing its tenure on August 12 at midnight — will give the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) 90 days to fix a date for the election.
If the assembly completes its tenure, then the ECP is bound to hold polls in 60 days.
The senior PPP leader said that political offices can be run only by politicians, as this is their job.
He added that the most elevated political office of the country is that of the prime minister. "If a judge, general, bureaucrat, technocrat, journalist, or any corporate sector employee is appointed to it, it will be a disgrace to the post and cannot work."
"Can I be appointed, if a seat of a judge in a high court or the Supreme Court is vacant? How will I be able to do justice there?" he asked.
Kaira said the PM's Office has many responsibilities.
"Political people should be appointed as prime minister, ministers or chief ministers. These posts should not go to others."
Kaira said that the election reforms could be completed in a few days and that the election commission had started the process based on the old census.
The PPP leader added that the commission needs four months for new delimitation.
He advised the political parties to legislate on election reforms soon after completing the consultation.
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