Consensus reached: Opposition has decided on two names for interim PM, says Nisar
Says both candidates are former judges of the Supreme Court.
File photo of Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. PHOTO: ONLINE
ISLAMABAD:
Opposition parties have reached a consensus on two candidates for the position of caretaker prime minister, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) announced on Friday.
The list has been narrowed down from eight possible candidates. The decision was revealed by Nisar while speaking to journalists outside Parliament House. He added that both candidates are former judges of the Supreme Court (SC).
“We consulted all political parties in the opposition and they all agreed on the names of the two former judges of the apex court for interim prime minister,” said Nisar.
Nisar denied that his party was holding talks with the government over the interim set-up.
Replying to a question, Nisar said that the party leadership will decide whether to hold talks with Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on the issue of interim set-up and caretaker prime minister.
He added that any decision to dissolve the provincial assembly of Punjab will be taken by the opposition, “not by some ‘imposter’”. This was an allusion to firebrand cleric Tahirul Qadri.
Nisar came down hard on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan and Minhajul Quran International (MQI) chief Tahirul Qadri, alleging that a troika of PTI, MQI and PML-Q was working to delay elections.
“Imran Khan is a name synonymous with U-turns. He had no objection to the formation of the very ECP,” alleged Nisar.
He said Imran’s party had been “hijacked” by another group that was calling the shots now. “These same people had no objection to the election commission of former president Musharraf’s era, but they are objecting now,” he said.
Addressing the bill on the creation of new provinces in Punjab, Nisar said the party will table its own bill against the government’s attempt to introduce the bill in parliament. However, soon after Nisar spoke, the government actually tabled the bill in the Senate.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 9th, 2013.
Opposition parties have reached a consensus on two candidates for the position of caretaker prime minister, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) announced on Friday.
The list has been narrowed down from eight possible candidates. The decision was revealed by Nisar while speaking to journalists outside Parliament House. He added that both candidates are former judges of the Supreme Court (SC).
“We consulted all political parties in the opposition and they all agreed on the names of the two former judges of the apex court for interim prime minister,” said Nisar.
Nisar denied that his party was holding talks with the government over the interim set-up.
Replying to a question, Nisar said that the party leadership will decide whether to hold talks with Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on the issue of interim set-up and caretaker prime minister.
He added that any decision to dissolve the provincial assembly of Punjab will be taken by the opposition, “not by some ‘imposter’”. This was an allusion to firebrand cleric Tahirul Qadri.
Nisar came down hard on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan and Minhajul Quran International (MQI) chief Tahirul Qadri, alleging that a troika of PTI, MQI and PML-Q was working to delay elections.
“Imran Khan is a name synonymous with U-turns. He had no objection to the formation of the very ECP,” alleged Nisar.
He said Imran’s party had been “hijacked” by another group that was calling the shots now. “These same people had no objection to the election commission of former president Musharraf’s era, but they are objecting now,” he said.
Addressing the bill on the creation of new provinces in Punjab, Nisar said the party will table its own bill against the government’s attempt to introduce the bill in parliament. However, soon after Nisar spoke, the government actually tabled the bill in the Senate.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 9th, 2013.