Deadlock over caretaker PM ‘ends’, Abbasi expected to announce name shortly

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah met today to break the deadlock over a name for the caretaker prime minister to run the affairs of the government and supervise general elections.  

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with the premier in the capital, Shah said: “The deadlock over a name for the interim prime minister has ended.”

He said the two leaders have reached a “fifty-fifty” consensus over a name from  the six nominees, three each proposed by the government and the opposition.

The opposition leader said he will meet PM Abbasi again before they both hold a joint press conference at 12:30 pm today in this regard.

The National Assembly is to complete its five-year term on May 31. The prime minister and the opposition leader are required to pick with consensus a name for the caretaker PM within three days of the dissolution of the assembly.

If they fail to reach consensus over a name for the slot, then the matter is referred to a parliamentary committee to be constituted by the Speaker of the National Assembly to discuss and nominate  the interim PM from four nominees, two each proposed by the government and the opposition.

Even if the parliamentary panel fails to finalise the caretaker prime minister, the matter goes to the Election Commission of Pakistan for a final decision.

Last week, the opposition leader in categorical terms said that there would no further talks with the premier over the caretaker prime minister and that the parliamentary committee would now finalise a name for the slot.

In previous meetings the government has suggested names of former chief justices of Pakistan Justice (retd) Nasir-ul-Mulk and Justice (retd) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani. The opposition leader has floated the names of Zaka Ashraf and Jalil Abbas Jilani for the position.

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