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Since the ruling PML-N and the opposition have failed to reach a consensus on the name of a caretaker prime minister, the issue will now be sent to a parliamentary committee for deliberations, it emerged on Friday.
Following the cancellation of a meeting between Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah on Thursday, the latter told reporters in his chamber on Friday that there would be no more meetings between the two leaders on the issue.
According to Shah, the PML-N had backed off from its earlier stance on the names for a caretaker prime minister.
"Initially, the PPP was willing to nominate retired judges for the caretaker premier but the PML-N insisted that retired judges should not be nominated for the post, so we changed our mind and nominated Zaka Ashraf and Jalil Abbas Jilani," he said.
Take a look: The caretaker government: Why do we have one and what purpose does it fulfil?
The ruling party, however, later changed its stance and insisted on the names of retired judges, said Shah.
The opposition leader said that he will be leaving for his hometown in the evening and will return on Monday, after which he will send the two proposed names to the National Assembly speaker.
He said he will also write a letter to the prime minister, apprising him about PPP's reservations.
The term of the present government expires on May 31, after which the caretaker set-up will be put in place to hold elections which are expected to be held in July.
In an earlier meeting, the premier and Shah had agreed that they would not disclose the names of their respective nominees for the office of caretaker prime minister till last moment in order to avoid “controversies” over the names.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has already warned that if the government and the opposition failed to reach an agreement on the name of a caretaker prime minister, a bipartisan committee of lawmakers will be created to resolve the matter. If that committee is also unsuccessful, the matter will be referred to the ECP, which will then pick a name of its own choosing.
Nisar believes the issue will be referred to parliamentary committee
Former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar on Friday said he believed that the issue of deciding upon a caretaker prime minister would be referred to a parliamentary committee.
Talking to reporters after a meeting with National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq at the assembly building, Nisar claimed that Tassaduq Hussain Jillani was apparently the PML-N's top pick for the post of caretaker PM.
He avoided replying to a question about the future of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan. "It is not necessary that all those who joined the PTI will win the 2018 elections," he said.
The former minister said he had decided to contest the 2018 election from four constituencies — two each from the National Assembly and Punjab Assembly.
In response to a question on whether his point of view had any support, he said that 95 per cent of PML-N MNAs supported his view but "there should also be someone who is willing to practically implement it."
