Chaudhry Nisar said that there will be no talks with the government [on the interim prime minister]. The procedure is laid down in the Constitution. We will forward two names from outside.
The nomination of a caretaker prime minister is likely to become a major bone of contention between the government and the main opposition party.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – which has already floated some names for the key office – is likely to leave the matter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), if its nominations are turned down.
“There will be no talks with the government [on the interim prime minister]. The procedure is laid down in the Constitution. We will forward two names from outside. In case no consensus is reached, we will leave it to ECP to decide the matter,” Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, told journalists.
The government formed a committee, led by Religious Affairs Minister Syed Khurshid Shah, and tasked it with evolving consensus with the opposition on the dissolution of assemblies and interim government before the next general elections.
The committee is expected to initiate formal negotiations with the opposition next week, though informal contacts are ongoing. Chaudhry Nisar, however, said he would not meet the committee.
Constitutionally, an interim premier shall be appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister and leader of the opposition in the outgoing National Assembly. If they fail to reach an agreement, Article 224A is invoked.
“In case the prime minister and the leader of the opposition in the outgoing National Assembly do not agree on any person to be appointed as the caretaker prime minister within three days of the dissolution of the National Assembly, they shall forward two nominees each to a committee to be immediately constituted by the speaker of the National Assembly, comprising eight members of the outgoing National Assembly, or the Senate, or both, having equal representation from the treasury and the opposition, to be nominated by the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, respectively,” reads the article.
In case the committee also fails to make a final decision, the matter is sent to the ECP which has to take decision within two days.
Sources told The Express Tribune that the government wants to approach the PML-N through Ishaq Dar, leader of the opposition in the Senate. PPP considers Senator Dar, who is close to the Sharif brothers, more accommodating than Chaudhry Nisar. But under the Constitution, Senator Dar does not have a say in the appointment of an interim premier.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 2nd, 2013.
COMMENTS (4)
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With so much mistrust between the civilian, it is better to hand over affairs of the country back to army and judiciary. The souls of Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan and Zia ul Haq must be laughing at them.
Just tactics to delay elections and buy more time...
Very good. Let the Election Commission of Pakistan decide the interim caretaker setup. The PPP CANNOT is not to be trusted even by a yardstick.
The CONDITION of the country in five years has made it an open invitation to every swindler, hitman, drug and arms dealer, black marketer and hoarder, corrupt bureaucrat in the world to come to Pakistan and operate without fear.
Let the ECP decide from now onwards as too much time has passed. Salams 2013
Khurshid Shah cannot be trusted!
Good move by PML N - if their consensus nominees are not accept , they will ECP decide.