Caretaker premier to be selected with consensus of all political parties: PM

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi says democracy is under no threat, reaffirms Senate elections will be held on time

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that a caretaker PM will be selected with the mutual consensus of all political parties, according to Express News.

Talking to the media in Islamabad on Monday, the prime minister also reaffirmed that Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) Chief Nawaz Sharif would lead the political campaign of the ruling party in the next general elections.

"People do not vote for Shehbaz Sharif or Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. They vote for Nawaz Sharif," he said.



"Previous caretaker prime ministers sold thousands of gas connections, but we will ensure this does not happen again," Abbasi said.

The premier also said that presenting the next budget in parliament was the prerogative of the caretaker government, but his party would prepare and finalise it before leaving office.

"I am the most frightening premier to have held this post because I speak the plain truth," Abbasi quipped during a light-hearted moment in his media brief.

Commenting on the uncertain political situation in the country, the PML-N leader sought to quash rumours about the fragility of democracy.

"Senate elections will be held on time. The parliament is in no danger, and those who want to dissolve it should first dare and file a no-confidence motion against me."

He stressed that his party was clean and did not need a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).



"Those who have made a deal on the NRO are sitting in the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League - Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q)."

"I laud the brains behind the current wave of protests against the government. Imran Khan and Asif Zardari are sitting under the leadership of Tahirul Qadri. People can decide who is the accursed one," the PM remarked.

Abbasi also talked about the tensions between the government institutions, saying the former president Pervez Musharraf was living comfortably in apartments of London and Dubai, while politicians dragged themselves to NAB courts.

"History will not forget this. If the judiciary appoints weak judges in superior courts, the people will suffer," he added.