Rabbani for consensus on caretaker PM

ISLAMABAD: Former Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani on Wednesday urged upon all political parties and in particular Leader of the House in the National Assembly Shahid Khaqan Abbassi and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah to arrive at a consensus candidate for the caretaker prime minister and avoid sending a set of names to the Election Commission of Pakistan in terms of Article 224 (A) of the Constitution, 1973. “The appointment of the caretaker prime minister is a political question and the Parliament and all political parties should walk the extra mile to achieve this consensus,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.

Mian Raza Rabbani said the functions of a caretaker prime minister and his government are merely to run the affairs of the state on a day to day basis. He said the caretaker prime minister cannot take any far reaching policy or financial decisions that will bind future governments.

The former chairman Senate said this practice which was followed in the past has proven to be disastrous. “The Senate should ensure that the caretaker is restricted to the role that is envisaged under the Constitution,” he said.