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The move to nominate incumbent Finance Minister Ishaq Dar as caretaker prime minister has created differences among the ranks of the major of coalition partners of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawz-led govt.
On Sunday, the sources claimed that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) nominated Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar as the caretaker prime minister and consensus has been reached with the allied parties.
But the major coalition partners including Pakistan People’s Party, JUI-F and MQM-P have ‘raised’ reservations about the move.
The tenure of the government is ending on August 12.
PPP’s stance
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has made it clear that no name had been finalized yet for the caretaker prime minister.
Addressing a press conference, PPP bigwig Sherry Rehman, flanked by Faisal Karim Kundi, asserted: “No decision has yet been made about the choice of the caretaker prime minister. How can the name of the interim prime minister be decided without consulting the PPP?”
“Equal opportunity for the general elections is something that everyone wants to see. The masses are currently dealing with crippling inflation. Everyone is aware of the economic difficulties the country is facing,” she maintained.
JUI-F, MQM-P
JUi-F spokesperson Hafiz Hamdullah also commented on the emergence of Ishaq Dar’s name, saying, “There is no restriction on proposing any name for PML-N. They can propose any name they want, but the decision of the caretaker prime minister will be made through consultation with the allied parties.”
In response to a question, he said, “When a name comes forward, there will be consultations on all positive and negative aspects, and only then a decision will be made.”
The MQM-P has also reportedly raised reservations citing that the appointment of Ishaq Dar as caretaker PM will raise questions on the impartiality of the next general elections.
Anyone can become caretaker PM after consensus: Iqbal
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal – speaking to a private news channel – said Ishaq Dar, or anyone, could be the caretaker prime minister provided the government and opposition agreed.
Ahsan Iqbal said it would be premature to comment further on the matter, stressing again that consensus of the coalition parties in the government and the opposition was required on the candidate.
Legal view
According to legal experts, there is no direct prohibition in the Constitution that the caretaker prime minister cannot be made from any political party.
Former General Secretary of Lahore High Court Bar, Rana Asadullah Khan said that “there is no such restriction in the Constitution. The process laid out in the Constitution includes consultation with the opposition leader, and once there is consultation and an agreement on a name, then you cannot legally reject it. However, there may be ethical considerations separate from the legal aspect.”
