Search for caretaker PM: Allies hold meeting as names of hopefuls swirl

ISLAMABAD: As the planned dissolution of the assemblies is just round the corner, the coalition government will finalise the name of the caretaker prime minister in the next two to three days.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Friday chaired a zoom meeting of the top leaders of government allies and it was decided that all the coalition partners should send their nominations to the prime minister in the next two days. It was also decided that elections would held on time.

Ex-finance minister Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and ex-governor State Bank of Pakistan Reza Baqir have emerged as the potential candidates. However, the names of ex-Sindh governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, independent MNA from Balochistan Muhammad Aslam Bhootani and Justice (retd) Shakil Baloch are also being floated. JUIF chief Fazlur Rehman, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Akhtar Mengal, Shahzain Bugti, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Mohsin Dawar, Muhammad Aslam Bhootani and others attended the meeting.

The participants of the meeting authorised the prime minister to give the final name for the top slot of the caretaker setup. It was learnt that the prime minister would finalize the name after taking the allies into confidence. A participant of the meeting said the consultation process would continue for the next two to three days. All the coalition partners stuck to the decision of dissolving the assemblies on August 9, three days before the National Assembly completes its five-year tenure. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also apprised the parliamentarians at a dinner hosted at the PM House of his plan to dissolve the assemblies on August 9. The sources said during Friday’s meeting, it was decided that the CCI’s decision on the latest census would be acceptable to all. The prime minister will chair the CCI meeting in Islamabad on Saturday (today).

They said MQM Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and some other leaders were of the view that millions of people registered as per new census could not be deprived of their voting rights.

“We know there can be some legal complications but to hold transparent polls, some delay in elections is acceptable,” they said.

Sources told The News that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) made it clear to the coalition partners that it won’t support any delay in elections under any pretext and expressed serious reservations about the census. The PPP also made it clear that it won’t support any legislations that affected the human rights.

According to sources, the PPP raised its serious reservations about the hasty passage of the controversial bills which were presented in both the houses of the parliament. Sources said the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said no one had the right to delay the elections even a day beyond the period given in the Constitution. The PPP position was that if the elections were postponed, the country might face many crises.

It was speculated in the media that the coalition partners had authorised Shehbaz to pick the caretaker of his own choice keeping all aspects of the situation in view. However, the sources well-versed with the developments told The News that it was not the question of delegating authority to the outgoing prime minister but it was his prerogative to propose name/s for the caretaker slot. “Surely, it would be one name only and the Leader of Opposition Raja Riaz will have no dispute about it in anyway.” The sources pointed out that for cosmetics and media consumption, some stories could emerge depicting that after a “heated debate” and “hectic consultations”, the two leaders had arrived at an understanding on the caretaker prime minister.

The sources reminded that Nawaz Sharif had already consulted the people, including Asif Ali Zardari and Fazlur Rehman, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, and Dr. Khalid Maqbool. The sources recalled that Nawaz Sharif left London for European tour in November last year just before the days when the new army chief was being appointed. It was alter revealed that he had already done the needed homework and subsequently the senior most and deserving lieutenant general became the Chief of Army Staff (COAS). Likewise, Nawaz Sharif has left for European trip and ultimately, the name suggested and agreed with him would surface at an appropriate time.

Meanwhile, the list of the hopefuls for the top caretaker slot is increasing with every passing day. Twenty-one name are in circulation in the market of “kite-flying” as Governor Sindh Kamaran Tessori is the latest addition.

Earlier Fawad Hasan Fawad, retired Justice Shakil Baloch, Mohsin Jamil Baig, Mohsin Naqvi, Jugnu Mohsin, Najam Sethi, Dr. Hafeez Sheikh, Aslam Bhutani, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Justice Tasddaq Jailani, Gohar Ejaz, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ishratul Ibad, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Afrasiab Khattak, Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar and most recently two name have been floated by the PTM MNA Mohsin Dawar without identifying them.

The sources reminded the ongoing meetings between the groups and leaders are related to the future strategy, creation of alliances and grouping for the upcoming polls although the caretaker administration also come up for chat in the course of such meetings.

The sources indicate that the caretaker would be decided in consultations between the leader of house and leader of opposition in the National Assembly and it wouldn’t go into the next phase provided in the Constitution that is for joint Parliamentary Committee and at the end the ECP.

The sources revealed that the caretaker prime minister could take oath of the office on Sunday (August 13).