With the dissolution of the National Assembly, the negotiation process between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Opposition Leader Raja Riaz for the appointment of the Caretaker Prime Minister will begin from today.
According to the sources, a meeting between the two sides will take place today. As per the time given by the Prime Minister’s office for meeting the opposition leader, the Prime Minister and the opposition leader are expected to meet today at 2 pm.
Shehbaz Sharif will present three names for the caretaker prime minister. Similarly, opposition leader Raja Riaz will also put forward three names for the position.
Yesterday, the President of Pakistan, Dr Arif Alvi, signed the summary of the dissolution of the National Assembly. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sent the summary of the dissolution of the National Assembly to President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday.
Arif Alvi signed the summary regarding the dissolution of the National Assembly on the advice of the Prime Minister under Article 58-1 of the Constitution. The National Assembly has been dissolved three days before the official end of the constitutional term.
Proposed Names for Caretaker PM Position
Reportedly, finance minister Ishaq Dar was the first choice for the slot of caretaker prime minister but after a severe backlash from coalition parties, the ruling PML-N stepped back from the decision. PMLN strongly rejected the media claims and stated that his name never came up for the position.
As of now, former finance minister Hafeez Shaikh (who served during the PTI-led government & PPP’s tenure) is a candidate for the caretaker PM. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former Punjab governor Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood are also in the race to become caretaker prime minister.
However, multiple media reports have suggested that Jalil Abbas Jilani (former foreign secretary and Pakistani envoy to Washington) would fulfil the duties of caretaker prime minister. He had a meeting with PM Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday that strengthened the media claims.