Opposition will raise question before SC about caretaker PM

ISLAMABAD: The united opposition has decided to raise questions before the Supreme Court today (Tuesday) about the process of nomination of caretaker prime minister and former chief justice Gulzar Ahmad for the slot for holding elections in the country when the suo motu hearing of dissolution of the National Assembly will resume before a five-member large bench.

President Dr Arif Alvi had asked the outgoing prime minister Imran Khan and leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif to propose names for selection of caretaker prime minister. The opposition leader discarded the communication made by the president in this regard and termed it against the Constitution. Leading counsel for the opposition Senator Azam Nazir Tarar said in clear terms that new actions of the administration would be checked since the matter is before the apex court and the president should have shown restraint in taking disputed actions.

In a brief chat with The News here Monday, without going into the controversy about the qualification of former chief justice Gulzar Ahmad for the slot of caretaker prime minister, he reminded that the action that paved the way for such so-called nominations was highly objectionable and against the Constitution. He referred to the observations made by former law minister and ruling of the deputy speaker one after the other for rejecting the motion of no-trust against Prime Minister Imran Khan subsequently. Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday nominated former chief justice Gulzar Ahmed for the office of the caretaker prime minister. The announcement was made by PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, who said the premier made the decision after approval from the PTI's core committee. "I propose the name of Justice (retd) Gulzar Ahmed, former chief justice of Pakistan, to be considered for appointment as the caretaker prime minister," reads the letter from the premier to the president. Subsequently, President Dr Arif Alvi wrote another letter to Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, informing him about Justice (retd) Ahmed's 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 reads.

The former CJP's nomination follows a letter written earlier on Monday by President Alvi to the prime minister and Shehbaz to propose names of suitable persons for appointment as caretaker premier under Article 224-A(1 )of the Constitution.

Sources said that the designation of the caretaker Prime Minister would be finalised and announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The names recommended by the parties would be referred to the commission that would scrutinize the final name.

The opposition could also approach the ECP if the outgoing administration, with the connivance of the presidency, resorted to action/actions contrary to the call of the Constitution and rules, the sources reminded.