ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has hinted that the decision concerning the appointment of the caretaker prime minister could be reached by Saturday.
During a farewell gathering with PM beat reporters, Sharif said he would hold discussions with coalition party leaders on Friday night and subsequently with the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Raja Riaz, either on Friday or Saturday.
In the event that a consensus cannot be reached on a single candidate, Sharif clarified that the matter would be referred to a parliamentary committee, empowered to arrive at a decision within three days. If the committee fails to reach an agreement, the Election Commission would take the responsibility and arrive at a final verdict within two days.
In response to President Arif Alvi’s letter urging a decision by August 12, the premier underscored that the constitutional procedure was unambiguous on this matter.
He characterized the 16 months of his tenure as the most challenging period in his 38-year political career. Despite the difficulties, he credited the collective efforts of all stakeholders for significant achievements in various areas.
Sharif highlighted the government’s vigorous response during the floods, releasing Rs100 billion from the previous government’s reserves along with contributions from provinces and relevant departments.
Regarding the successful IMF agreement, he labeled it a major challenge that was surmounted through the combined efforts of his team, effectively averting potential chaos in the country.
Speaking about diplomatic accomplishments, he indicated that the government had successfully mended relations with friendly nations, rectifying strained ties from the previous government’s era due to baseless allegations.
While alluding to recent news about a cipher, the prime minister suggested that yesterday’s story had exposed everything.
He acknowledged that oil prices were beyond the government’s control, but highlighted that whenever there were price reductions, they were passed on to the consumers.
He shared details about the establishment of the Special Investment Facilitation Council as a mechanism to accelerate the nation’s progress and prosperity.
Caretaker Prime Minister Consultations
Meanwhile, various leaders of political parties from part of the government coalition were invited to the Prime Minister’s House by Shehbaz Sharif for consultations on the appointment of the caretaker prime minister.
Asif Ali Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Maulana Fazlur Rehman of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui of MQM-Pakistan, Aimal Wali Khan of ANP, along with leaders of other political parties including Khalid Magsi, Sajid Mir, Owais Noorani, Sajid Ali Khan, Abdul Malik Baloch, Aftab Sherpao, and members of other alliance parties were part of this consultation.
While Sharif and the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Raja Riaz, had met for consultation, the meeting concluded without finalizing the name for the interim prime minister.
