The leader of the opposition in the National Assembly was addressing media outside Parliament House. — INP/File Photo

ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan announced on Friday that his party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), would present its own bill on new provinces in case the government does, DawnNews reported.

Speaking to the media outside Parliament House, the PML-N lawmaker said if the government introduced its bill on new provinces in the National Assembly, then his party would do so as well.

Last week, a report prepared by the parliamentary commission on new provinces in Punjab presented in the National Assembly had recommended the creation of one new province in the region. Bahawalpur Janoobi Punjab was the name the commission had suggested for this province. As opposed to the commission’s recommendation, the PML-N had supported the creation of two new provinces.

Also today, on Tehrik-i-Minhajul Quran (TMQ) chief Tahirul Qadri’s demand to dissolve the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in its current form, the opposition leader lashed out at the cleric as well as the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) which had come out in support of the demand earlier this week.

Nisar also alleged that PTI chief Imran Khan did not have the power to make party decisions, adding that others in the PTI had the clout to make him backtrack.

Replying to a question, Nisar said the government had not yet submitted names for a caretaker prime minister. He added that after his party receives the names, the matter would be discussed internally before a decision can be made.

Last week, Nisar had ruled out the possibility of any talks with the government on the issue of a caretaker set-up and had predicted that the matter would eventually be decided by the election commission.

“It seems the ECP will have to decide as it is unlikely that the government and the opposition will develop a consensus on the issue,” he had told reporters.

The opposition would formally announce the names for a caretaker prime minister and chief ministers after discussions with other opposition parties and would leave it to the government whether to accept or reject it, he had said.