ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif has rejected the named of former Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed the post of caretaker prime minister.
The opposition leader, in a letter written to President Arif Alvi, stated that the process of naming interim prime minister or government is unconstitutional as National Assembly Speaker’s ruling on no-confidence motion has been challenged in the Supreme Court.
Shehbaz acknowledging that he received the letters on April 6 but said that the former CJP Gulzar’s name cannot be agreed upon while the status of the previous National Assembly was still being heard in court.
“I may state at the very outset that the ruling of the Speaker regarding the Joint Opposition’s Resolution for a vote of no-confidence against the prime minister is a blatant violation of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, not to mention the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 2007,” it stated.
“The entire superstructure built thereon, including all consequential notifications relating to dismissal of the Resolution, advice of the Prime Minister regarding dissolution of the National Assembly, and continuation of Prime Minister in office are all illegal, without lawful authority and of no legal affect,” he contended.
Shehbaz pointed out the Supreme Court was still hearing the matter to decide the legality of the deputy speaker’s ruling and the subsequent actions and orders of the prime minister and the president. He argued that the “hurried process” of proposing names for caretaker PM’s role was a “violation of the law and Constitution”.
It must be mentioned that President Arif Alvi had written to both PM and Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif seeking their nominees for the post of interim PM.
According to a letter, the caretaker PM shall be appointed by President in consultation with the incumbent PM and Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing NA as per Article 224(1A) of the Constitution of Pakistan.
Shehbaz Sharif earlier claimed that he had not received “any letter” from President Dr Arif Alvi regarding the appointment of caretaker prime minister.
Addressing the media in Islamabad, the PML-N president said that he would first consult with his legal team and opposition parties, and then send names for the interim prime minister.
The premier had put forward Justice (retd) Gulzar Ahmed’s name for the post. Subsequently, the president wrote another letter to Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly (NA) Shehbaz Sharif, informing him of the nomination and asking him to either agree with it or present his own nominee by April 6.
“If no response is received within the stipulated time, the appointment of caretaker prime minister will be processed in accordance with the Constitution,” the letter read.
