ISLAMABAD: There were cameras and lights, but when members of the parliamentary committee came out after a nearly three-hour meeting, there was little action to be recorded.

The eight-member bipartisan committee constituted to select a caretaker prime minister within three days discussed only its terms of references in its first meeting held here on Wednesday.

The committee will meet again on Thursday morning.

However, both sides have finalised their two nominations each for caretaker prime minister.

Now the committee will be bound to choose one of the four nominations. The PML-N’s nominees are retired Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid and Sindhi nationalist leader Rasul Bakhsh Palijo, whereas the PPP and its coalition partners have submitted the names of former governor of State Bank Dr Ishrat Hussain and retired Justice Mir Hazar Khan Khoso. The much trumpeted Hafeez Sheikh was knocked out in the first round.

The proceedings were chaired by ANP leader Ghulam Ahmad Bilour. Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Sardar Mahtab Ahmad of the PML-N said the committee had unanimously finalised parameters against which all the nominees would be discussed in detail before voting.

He said the caretaker prime minister should be a known impartial personality, of good integrity, apolitical, have administrative experience and enjoy good reputation.

“The committee has agreed to note down in writing the merits and de-merits of all the four names before giving its ruling,” Mr Ahmad said.

Syed Khurshid Shah of the PPP said a two-thirds majority -- six of the eight members of the committee -- would be required for the winning nominee but he hoped that they would be able to create consensus on a candidate.

Former law minister Senator Farooq H. Naek said the committee did not have the mandate to change the nominations.

“In case of a deadlock at the committee level, the Election Commission of Pakistan will also have same four nominees to pick from as caretaker prime minister,” he said.

Before going into huddle, it was obvious that the members from the government side were not happy with Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan’s statement that the decision for caretaker prime minister would be made by the ECP.

Mr Shah said the PML-N leader had undermined the committee’s mandate.

Commenting on the nominations of the PML-N, he said the two were known anti-PPP individuals.

PPP spokesman Qamar Zaman Kaira accused Chaudhry Nisar of creating unnecessary hurdles and said that, otherwise, the selection would have been done in a smooth manner.

However, after the meeting all committee members looked relaxed and even a hardliner like Saad Rafiq of the PML-N expressed hope that it would select the caretaker premier before the task was handed over to the ECP.

He said both parties were well on track, adding hat he was “hopeful the committee will be able to resolve the issue of caretaker prime minister”.

However, he quickly added that even if the ECP was asked to intervene, its decision would be within the parameters set by the constitution.

Senator Naek said: “We are following the constitution in its true letter and spirit. Even if we fail, we have the ECP which people across the board believe will make a good judgment in the end. Hence there is no deadlock, as perceived by a few, between the PPP and PML-N.”Sources in the PPP and PML-N said Dr Ishrat Hussain appeared to be the front-runner at the moment. They said Justice Zahid was believed to have been closer to the PML-N during the 1990s and Justice Khoso was known for his association with the PPP. Mr Palijo has given an anti-PPP statement even after his nomination. Therefore, “we are left with Dr Hussain who, despite having served under Gen Musharraf as SBP governor, has a good reputation as a professional”, they said.

The treasury benches were represented in the committee by PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, PPP leaders Khurshid Shah and Farooq Naek and Ghulam Ahmed Bilour of the ANP. Senator Pervez Rasheed, Sardar Mehtab Khan, Khawaja Saad Rafiq and Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasar represented the PML-N.