LAHORE: The Punjab governor on Monday sent three names proposed by Parvez Elahi for the caretaker chief minister to opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz to build a consensus, as one of the nominees, Nasir Mahmood Khosa, reportedly refused to become the “joint candidate” of PML-N, PML-Q and PTI for the CM slot.

“I have received three names from Chief Minis­ter Parvez Elahi which are being forwarded to Oppo­sition Leader Hamza Sheh­baz Sharif. I would like to see both of the leaders jointly agree on any name within [the] stipulated time,” Governor Balighur Rehman said in a tweet.

Mr Khosa, who was also nominated for the same role by PTI in 2018, excused himself from becoming a joint nominee for the post of the caretaker chief minister, said PML-N leader Khawaja Asif in a tweet. “Nasir Khosa is a conscientious and honest man. Being a bureaucrat his role was commendable. We had contacted him to accept the position as a joint candidate (of PML-N and PTI-PML-Q) for the caretaker chief minister but he refused,” Mr Asif stated.

Of the other two names, Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera is still in service and has a couple of weeks to go till his retirement while consensus on Naseer Khan does not look likely, as the PML-N allegedly launched a social media campaign against the former civil servant soon after his name was proposed by the Elahi-Imran alliance.

PML-N mulls names

On the other hand, consultations are underway in the PML-N to find a caretaker chief executive for the province before the province goes to polls in 90 days. At the same time, the Sharif family has consulted some senior party leaders to shortlist its own nominees.

“The Sharifs will give names of three probable candidates to the governor through Hamza to reach a consensus. Hamza Shehbaz, who has been abroad for over a month, will be told by his father about the names picked by the top leadership,” a party leader close to the Sharifs told Dawn.

The PML-N will also consult PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari -- who is in Lahore -- JUI-F head Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and Chaudhry Shujaat of the PML-Q over these names, the source said, adding that Sharifs were in favour of picking a couple of retired judges for the post of the caretaker CM.

Meanwhile, PML-N leader and PM’s aide Malik Ahmad Khan telephoned Mr Elahi on behalf of Hamza Shehbaz and apprised him that Hamza Shehbaz would soon share the names with him through Gov Balighur Rehman.

‘Remove Sanaullah’

As CM Elahi managed to secure the trust vote and subsequently dissolved the Punjab Assembly despite the “best efforts” of the PML-N and PPP, the demand to remove the PML-N Punjab chapter president, Rana Sanaullah, has gained momentum in the party.

Interior Minister Sanaullah was tasked along with his ‘deputy’ Attaullah Tarar, PM’s aide on the interior, to ensure Mr Elahi could not secure the magic figure of 186 in the provincial assembly during the trust vote.

“Now Sanaullah’s detractors in the party have launched a campaign against him, blaming him for the debacle,” a source informed Dawn. “They are busy lobbying with supreme leader Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz to replace him with any other active leader,” a party insider said and added federal ministers Khawaja Saad Rafique and Ahsan Iqbal were interested in the party’s top slot in Punjab.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2023