Caretaker PM Consultation process between PM, opposition leader starts

ISLAMABAD: Shahid Khaqan Abbasi government’s last 60 days in office have commence d and likewise the same countdown will begin in case of the provincial governments next week. The consultation process for picking caretaker prime minister that will be responsible for holding of the polls in the country in free and fair manner will start late next week as Prime Minister Abbasi and Leader of the Opposition Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah will sit across the table to fulfill the obligation determined by the Constitution for them.

Both the leaders have consulted their respective leadership on the subject while an informal consultation between allies of the two will also take place in between. Well place sources having access to the leadership of the both the sides have hinted that the caretaker arrangement would be settled by the leadership of the two parties and it is unlikely that the matter would be referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Sources told The News that consultation for choosing caretaker Prime Minister likely to continue next month since the arrangement is bound to be announced till last week of next month. The sources said that leaders of the ruling alliance including Maulana Fazalur Rehman, Mahmood Khan Achakzae, Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi, Pir Syed Sadaruddin Shah Rashidi and leaders of the independent members of the Parliament would be consulted by Quaid of the PML-N Nawaz Sharif while Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah will have consultations with PTI, MQM, Jamat-e-Islami and other small groups siding with the opposition in the two Houses.

The proposed names of the Prime Minister and leader of the opposition could go to Parliamentary consultative group to be constituted by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq at the maximum.

The two sides aren’t interested to leave the matter go to the ECP or superior judiciary. The sources pointed out that former Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani could be consensus caretaker at the end.

In the meanwhile sources pointed out that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who assumed the office in August last undertook a dozen foreign trips during these months and he will have essentially three more significant trips during his 59-day rule. He will visit Kabul next week and later proceed to China to attend BOAO Forum.

The most important visit that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will undertake is about the United Kingdom later this month when he will attend 25th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London.

It is expected that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be present among 52 heads of the government of Commonwealth member countries there and two Prime Ministers will be sitting across the table on the occasion but they wouldn’t have bilateral meeting on brinks of the event, the sources added.

The sources pointed out that Prime Minister Shahid Abbasi will undertake 17 visits during last seven weeks of his premiership inside the country since he will have to inaugurate developmental projects which were initiated by Nawaz Sharif and stand completed now. The last week of next month will be devoted for farewell ceremonies including the visit of Prime Minister Abbasi to various institutions’ headquarters, the source said.