The ECP will now decide on the interim premier. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD: The parliamentary committee formed to finalise a name for the caretaker prime minister failed to decided on a name, Express News reported on Friday.
"For the first time politicians had the time to make a political decision, but we have not been able to do that," committee member Chaudhry Shujaat said.
The committee wanted to take the decision themselves instead of letting the matter slide into the election commission’s court.
With the committee failing to decide on a name, the election commission will now select the caretaker prime minister within two days.
Former Law Minister Farooq H Naek pointed out that the amendment made to the law has a few lacunas and urged that the next government that is elected in looks into making the necessary changes which addresses the problem that arises when a deadlock happens.
Former Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira while critisising the delay, said, “Although we were very flexible, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) stubbornness has resulted in no consensus.” He was addressing media in Islamabad.
Earlier in the day, the final session of the parliamentary committee ended with no progress on the selection of an interim prime minister. But the session was slated to resume at 9pm.
The eight-member committee was formulated on March 19 and were given the task to pick the next caretaker prime minister of Pakistan after the government and opposition parties failed to agree on a name.
The parliamentary committee, formulated by National Assembly speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza, was given time till today to appoint the interim prime minister.
The PPP-led alliance sent the names of PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, PPP leaders Farooq H Naek and Khursheed Shah, and ANP leader Ghulam Ahmed Bilour to the speaker as its members for the parliamentary committee.
Sardar Mehtab Khan Abbasi, Senator Pervez Rashid, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Yaqoob Khan Nasir have been picked to negotiate on behalf of the opposition.
COMMENTS (19)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
The origin, deliberations, and grand finale of these meetings were never to select a caretaker PM but more on how to treat each other after the elections. Grand lunches, TADA, musical evenings, dinner banquets, belly dancers, qawwalis, shair-o-shairi, how much money did you make and how much land did you grab, and practicing for the run-up to the elections. Poor Treasury will have to dish out for their entertainment. Salams
When two regular Prime Ministers could not take care of the matters in 4 years, what will be done by a care-taker PM?
@fus: So to you compromise always means pmln acquiescing or being outfoxed by PPP?!?!!
Why couldn't PPP compromise?
Game well played by PPP & PMLN
@Historian 1: Ahahaha spot on! :D
Drama to bring in Hafeez Shaikh at the end. Although I do hope its Dr Ishrat Hussain but some economist at the helm is the dire need of the hour.
p.s. shame on PMLN for not choosing even a single member of JUI, MQM or even PMLF in the committee
@fus:
If politicians lost due to PML-N and Ch. Nissar, so be it! We will not accept a minion of imperialism and capitalism in the form of Dr. Ishrat Hussain whose sole task is to straitjacket Pakistan economically as per the wishes of IMF and WB. PML-N and Ch. Nissar have my vote, lock, stock and barrel.
@ fus The Trojan horse of PML(N) indeed
So, they would rather let ECP pick a person from the same set of choices they have not been able to decide from. I have yet to figure out the wisdom of this move. This also shows that our status quo politicians from both parties can not make mildly complex decisions under time constraints, which certainly makes it obvious that they will not be able fix tough problems of the country either.
The difference of opinion is the beauty of democracy. It is good that the process is moving ahead in line with the provisions of the 20th amendment and there is no extra-constitutional step. Pakistan is now a more civilised country!
....And these people want to represent us who cannot give this nation an interim PM? May be they had a hard time to find one who is more corrupt than them.
The difference between PML M and PPP is that PML N does not get blackmailed by likes of MQM and JUI F.
@fus: Do you think compromise means acquiescing to PPP!?!!!
And it was good of Ch. Nisar to take a stand on this. Let's leave it to ECP.
Surprise surprise....
Whether you like it or not this time politicians lost due to PML(N) and particluraly the worst politician of all time, CHaudry Nisar. Ask Ishaq Dar and he will confimr this.
Because care taker PM will land in Pakistan on 24th March
20th Amendment is no doubt a landmark provision for transition. Everything is going smooth.
I expected this. It never really looked like they will reach a consensus.
The ball is in ECP's court now, I hope they appoint an impartial interim PM.
This is the height of differences among the political parties.
Look at all of them.
They cannot reach to a consensus that who should be the care-taker Prime Minister, even at the eve of Pakistan Day.
A very shameful situation.
And then they all come and claim that they are first class citizens of Pakistan and they are there to seve the nation.