Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan is set to have a meeting with outgoing Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Raja Riaz, today. The purpose of this meeting is to reach a consensus on the selection of a name for the caretaker premier.
Following the dissolution of the lower house of the Parliament by President Alvi on Wednesday, the coalition government’s regime came to an end. This occurred shortly after PM Shehbaz submitted a summary advising the dissolution to the Presidency. A statement issued by the Presidency revealed that President Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly based on the advice of the prime minister.
As of now, the outgoing government has yet to name a caretaker prime minister who will lead the interim set-up until the general elections. These elections are expected to be delayed due to the latest census notification. However, until a caretaker prime minister is appointed, PM Shehbaz will assume the role. According to Article 94 of the Constitution, “The president may ask the prime minister to continue to hold office until his successor enters upon the office of the prime minister.”
In his farewell address to the National Assembly, PM Shehbaz expressed his intention to meet with Raja Riaz in order to reach an agreement on the name of the interim prime minister, as required by the Constitution. He stated, “I will meet Raja Riaz sahib tomorrow and shake hands with him… As the Constitution says, we will discuss names for the interim premier. The first meeting will be held tomorrow (Thursday)… The Constitution gives us three days [to decide the name of the interim PM].”
If PM Shehbaz and Raja Riaz are unable to agree on a name, the matter will be referred to a parliamentary committee. If the committee also fails to reach a decision, then the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will have two days to select the caretaker prime minister from a list of names provided.
Earlier, PM Shehbaz had denied the finalization of any candidates for the caretaker prime minister position, stating that consultations with government allies and his party members were an ongoing process that would be completed within a day or two. In contrast, Raja Riaz had previously revealed that the names for the caretaker PM had been finalized after three meetings with opposition lawmakers. He noted that the candidates did not include any politicians but an economist had been shortlisted.
Among the potential candidates for the caretaker premier are Jalil Abbas Jilani, proposed by the PPP, and Hafeez Sheikh, a former finance minister. However, Jilani is seen as the current frontrunner for the position. Other contenders include Ishaq Dar, the finance minister; Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, a former prime minister; Fawad Hassan Fawad, a former principal secretary; Tassaduq Jilani, a former chief justice; Abdullah Hussain Haroon; Pir Pagaro; and Makhdoom Mehmood Ahmed.