ECP session over Caretaker Punjab CM today

LAHORE: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has summoned a session on Thursday for the appointment of a caretaker chief minister for Punjab after the parliamentary committee that met on Wednesday failed to reach a consensus over the proposed candidates.

The Chief Election Commissioner has summoned the session at 9:30am on Thursday. The ECP said that for caretaker CM Punjab, the PA speaker has forwarded four names and it will announce the name after consultation. According to the ECP, the government has suggested Justice (retd) Sair Ali and Admiral (retd) M Zakaullah’s name. The opposition has sent names of Ayaz Amir and Dr Hasan Askari, the ECP added. The parliamentary committee met at the Punjab Assembly earlier to mull over the names of candidates proposed for caretaker provincial chief minister. Rana Sanaullah, Malik Ahmed Khan and Khawaja Imran Nazir represented the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) in the committee while former opposition leader Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, Sibtain Khan and Shoaib Siddiqui were present from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) side.

Speaking to the media after the parliamentary committee meeting, Mehmood-ur-Rasheed said, "We had suggested dropping a name each from our list of proposed candidates. However, the PML-N was adamant on appointing Pakistan Navy former chief Admiral Muhamamd Zakaullah to the post." "But we rejected the name of the former chief of Pakistan Navy as he has no administrative experience and we want someone to overlook the province not as a marine exercise," Rasheed said.

The former opposition leader said defence analyst Dr Hassan Askari, who has been suggested for the post by the PTI, is neutral and intelligent. “He not only criticises PML-N's policies but PTI's as well." However, the former opposition leader lamented that owing to PML-N's 'inflexible' attitude, the matter will now be decided by the ECP. "We will forward a summary to the ECP and they will nominate a caretaker chief minister within two days," he concluded. PML-N's Malik Ahmed Khan while speaking to the media after the meeting alleged that the two names proposed by PTI were "not neutral". "It is important to nominate a neutral person to the post," he added.

"The PML-N suggested names of neutral candidates but the matter will now be decided by the ECP," Khan said. Rasheed had earlier said his party would propose the names of news analyst Ayaz Amir and defence analyst Dr Hassan Askari for the post of caretaker CM during Wednesday's meeting.