Five shortlisted for caretaker PM: minister

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said the PMLN and the PPP have shortlisted five names for the slot of the caretaker prime minister and all are politicians. 

He said no offer had been made to him to take up the slot. “The PPP and PMLN together have finalized four to five names which will be discussed with other parties,” he elaborated, adding that a name would be finalised within a week.

He said, “The leadership of allied parties will make a final decision in this regard. To my view, elections should be held in 90 days and this too suits us. It is my personal opinion that elections should take place prior to 90 days. I think assemblies will be dissolved two days before their tenure. Had the field been left vacant in the assembly, it would have created too much difficulty.”

He also clarified that he had neither proposed the name of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for the slot of caretaker prime minister nor expressed a desire at any stage. He said Dar had never expressed such intensions at any forum. Talking about his statement that PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari was not a trustworthy person, he said it was his personal opinion, adding that he was still cautious about him.

Sources in the PPP confirmed five names for caretaker PM have been shared with the party.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that no one in the government had proposed Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s name for the caretaker prime minister. “Neither was Ishaq Dar’s name suggested, nor was it rejected. It can be a rumour,” the interior minister said while speaking to the Geo News programme “Naya Pakistan”.

Rana Sanaullah said that currently talks were underway about whether a bureaucrat or a politician should be appointed to the coveted post. “In case there is a consensus that a politician can be appointed, then it can either be Ishaq Dar or any other politician from any party,” he said. However, he added the government would try to appoint a person acceptable to all sides.

The minister said people had a wrong assumption that the government had the authority to allow Nawaz Sharif to return to politics. “This is completely wrong. The government does not have this right,” he said, pointing the finger at the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Sanaullah said the top court had disqualified Nawaz Sharif through an order no one accepted. He blamed the judges for being “biased” against the PMLN supremo. “PMLN Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz has secured acquittal in her cases through courts and Nawaz Sharif will also do the same once he returns. He will return soon. He will first secure interim bail and then acquittal. All political restrictions imposed on him through conspiracies will end.”

Earlier this week, rumour had it that Dar was a possible candidate for the post of interim prime minister. However, neither Dar nor any other Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leader had rejected the rumours. In fact, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that the finance minister could be appointed to the post. Later, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif denied it and the PPP also opposed his appointment.

Meanwhile, JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza Friday said the final decision on picking the caretaker prime minister would be made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after consulting JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman in a day or two. The shortlisting of the candidates would be carried out by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Raja Riaz Ahmad as per Constitution since the same would be valid for the final decision, he said while talking to The News.

Senator Kamran Murtaza, who had been the Supreme Court Bar Association President, said every member party of the PDM had the right to put up its recommendations but the final decision would be taken by the leadership of the alliance. Opposition Leader Raja Riaz Ahmad is visiting his hometown Faisalabad and is expected to meet with the prime minister on Wednesday.

Raja Riaz, who had earlier opposed Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar as caretaker prime minister, now supports the idea.

Sources say if Senator Dar agrees to be the caretaker prime minister, he will quit the party offices and give up his seat in the Senate.Consultations are underway whether a caretaker could retain the membership of the upper House of the Parliament or not.