The Sharif brothers are calling the shots again and this time they are deciding who will be the caretaker prime minister once Shehbaz steps down. (Image: Reuters)
Shehbaz wants to attend the festivities and flag-hoisting on Pakistan’s independence day while Nawaz and Zardari decide who will be interim PM.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the name of the caretaker prime minister will be finalised on Saturday. The state-run Radio Pakistan said Sharif told journalists that coalition partners will be taken into confidence before deciding the final name.
“Coalition partners will be taken into confidence over the matter before taking a final decision,” Sharif told journalists in Islamabad. He, however, pointed out that the Constitution provided eight days for the appointment of the caretaker premier.
People familiar with the developments told news agency the Dawn that Shehbaz Sharif wants to stay in office till Pakistan’s independence day on August 14 in order to attend the flag-hoisting ceremony.
The Pakistan constitution allows the Prime Minister to act as the caretaker prime minister till the appointment of the head of the interim set-up.
People mentioned above also said that the delay is due to Shehbaz Sharif party, the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N), wanting to see its own person in the office.
They also said that supremo Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Asif Ali Zardari were the main decision makers regarding who would be the caretaker prime minister along with a “third party”.
The Pakistan National Assembly (NA) was dissolved on Friday.
Sharif met leader of the opposition and dissident Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Raja Riaz to exchange a list of probable candidates on Friday. Formal consultations between all parties on the matter has begun.
Riaz told news outlets that six names were being considered for the role but also said that they are not in a hurry to decide a name for the caretaker prime minister.
A second meeting between all stakeholders is scheduled for further discussions.
The Pakistan constitution says that the prime minister and the outgoing opposition leader in the NA have three days to decide who the caretaker prime minister will be.
A parliamentary committee will step in if both of them fail to agree on a name. If the parliamentary committee also fails to pick a caretaker prime minister then the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will have two days to choose the caretaker prime minister from the list of names shared with it.
