President Alvi tells PM Shehbaz, Raja Riaz to propose name for caretaker premier by tomorrow

President Arif Alvi on Friday asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and outgoing Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) Raja Riaz to propose a name for the appointment of caretaker premier by tomorrow (August 12).

After the NA was dissolved on Aug 9, the prime minister and opposition leader began meetings to select a candidate for the interim premier. The first meeting was held on Thursday in which six names had come under discussion.

Both leaders are expected to meet again today for another round of deliberations.

In a letter written to PM Shehbaz and Riaz today, the president recalled that he had dissolved the NA on the former’s advice on Aug 9.

“Under Provision of Article 224 (1A) of the Constitution, the president appoints the caretaker prime minister in consultation with the [outgoing] prime minister and leader of the opposition in the outgoing NA.

“Under Article 224A of the Constitution, PM and leader of the opposition in the outgoing NA are required to propose the name of a person for the appointment of caretaker prime minister within three days of the dissolution of the NA,” he said.

Alvi then directed PM Shehbaz and Riaz to propose the name of the interim premier “not later than August 12”.

According to the Constitution, the premier and the outgoing opposition leader in the NA have three days to decide the name of the interim prime minister.

In case the two fail to agree on a name, the matter would be referred to a parliamentary committee. If the committee fails to make any decision, then the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will have two days to choose the caretaker prime minister from the list of names shared with the commission.

Some in political circles believe that PM Shehbaz wants to stay in office till Aug 14 so he could attend the flag-hoisting ceremony on Independence Day, after which a caretaker premier will take an oath.

Interestingly, on July 12, the prime minister had first said that his government’s tenure would end on August 14, although the information minister later clarified that the PM had gotten the date wrong.

As per the Constitution, PM Shehbaz can act as the caretaker prime minister till the appointment of the head of the interim set-up. Article 94 of the Constitution says, “The president may ask the prime minister to continue to hold office until his successor enters upon the office of prime minister.”

One of the reasons for delay in deciding the name of the head of interim set-up is believed to be the PML-N’s desire to see its own man in office. Sources said PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari were calling the shots on the issue of the appointment of the caretaker PM in consultation with the “third party”.

Senate committee meetings postponed

Meanwhile, the Senate Secretariat has postponed its committee meetings until the appointment of the caretaker government.

In a notification issued today, it said: “Consequent upon the dissolution of the National Assembly, the prime minister as well as the federal ministers and ministers of state have ceased to hold the office. Furthermore, the caretaker prime minister and cabinet are yet to be appointed,

“Therefore, the competent authority has directed to postpone all Senate committee meetings till the notification of caretaker prime minister/cabinet.”

It also said that the“time for presentation of reports on legislative (bills introduced in the Senate) and non-legislative business referred to the committee“ was halted.

More names

As both sides held the names of nominees close to their chest after Thursday’s meeting, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani also emerged as “one of the strongest contenders” for the coveted slot.

He held separate meetings with PM Shehbaz and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

A senior leader of the PML-N told Dawn that Sanjrani was “one of the strongest candidates”. “The Senate chairman can be the dark horse,” he said while referring to Defence Minister Khawaja Asif who had first used the term “dark horse”.

Other possible contenders are Jilal Abbas Jilani, former finance ministers Dr Hafeez Sheikh and Ishaq Dar, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, ex-principal secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad, ex-justice Tassaduq Jilani, Abdullah Hussain Haroon, Pir Pagaro, and Makhdoom Mehmood Ahmed.