- Says after president’s assent, affairs will be in hands of caretaker government
- Sanaullah says consultation about caretaker PM under way, likely to be finalized by tomorrow
ISLAMABAD: Pouring out his heart Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday confirmed that he will send a formal recommendation to President Arif Alvi for the dissolution of the National Assembly following the completion of the government’s term on Wednesday (today).
“After completing our tenure, I will write and send the advice to President Alvi to dissolve the assembly and then an interim government will take over,” the prime minister said while addressing a ceremony in Islamabad on Tuesday.
“Tomorrow I will recommend the president to dissolve the government and the assembly, after which the affairs will be in the hands of the caretaker government,” he remarked.
The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition government led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had earlier announced that the assemblies will be dissolved on August 9 (today).
Based on Article 224(2) of the Constitution of Pakistan, elections should be held within 90 days of the dissolution of an Assembly – whether National or Provincial – and the results should be declared in a maximum of 14 days after the conclusion of polls.
Speaking at the event, the prime minister outlined his vision for a transition to cleaner and more affordable energy sources for citizens.
‘Caretaker prime minister’s name will be finalized soon’
On the other hand, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Tuesday said consultation about the caretaker prime minister was under way and expressed hope that the name would be finalized by this evening or tomorrow (today).
In a statement, the PML-N leader said the caretaker set-up would perform its constitutional duty of carrying out delimitations. He said the delimitation process would take 120 days. After completion of the delimitation process, he said, elections would be conducted.
As for the names of the caretaker PM, the minister said names were under discussion and no name had been finalised yet.
The minister said elections would not be unnecessarily delayed and the caretaker government and security agencies would ensure security and other aspects.
Meanwhile, one of the contenders for caretaker prime minister’s (PM) slot, former finance minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh has arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday.
The likely caretaker PM Abdul Hafeez Shaikh reached Karachi two days ago and contacted his close friends in Islamabad, said sources, adding that the former finance minister discussed political and economic situation with his aides.
Yesterday, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bokhari on Monday denied consensus on former finance minister Hafeez Shaikh’s name for the caretaker prime ministership.
“Rana Sanaullah should have not talked about Hafeez Sheikh’s name,” the PPP leader said reacting to the statement of the minister.
Earlier, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah claimed that former finance minister Hafeez Shaikh was among the candidates shortlisted for the slot of the caretaker prime minister.
Shaikh’s name was among those earlier reported to have been included in a list of five finalised by parties in the ruling coalition for the caretaker prime minister. The purported list was also said to have included former chief justice of Pakistan Tassaduq Hussain Jillani.
