ISLAMABAD: With the upcoming general elections fast approaching, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah failed to reach a consensus over the name of a caretaker prime minister on Friday, ARY News reported.
According to details, the premier and the opposition leader held a meeting in the capital to discuss and evolve consensus on a caretaker set-up before the end of the government’s five-year term on May 31.
Both the sides proposed their respective nominees for the slot of the caretaker prime minister, but failed to pick out a consensus name.
Speaking to the media, the opposition leader said the premier and he will be meeting again on Tuesday to discuss the caretaker set-up as the former is going to Turkey to attend an OIC session on the Gaza issue.
He said they will hopefully develop a consensus on a name for the coveted position.
In a previous meeting between PM Abbasi and Shah, names of former finance minister Dr Hafeez Pasha, former chief justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani and former governors of State Bank Dr Shamshad and Ishrat Hussain were taken under consideration.
Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had mooted three names for the caretaker prime minister.
The PTI has mooted three names, which are; former commerce minister Abdul Razzaq Dawood, former chief justice of Pakistan Tasadduq Jilani and former governor State Bank Dr. Ishrat Hussain.
Abdul Razzaq Dawood served as commerce minister during Musharraf regime. He continued as the minister from 1999 to 2002.
While, Mr. Jillani served as the 21st Chief Justice of Pakistan from 12 December 2013 to 5 July 2014. Dr. Ishrat Hussain was the State Bank governor from 1999 to 2006. In 2013, Pakistan People’s Party had also proposed Ishrat Hussain as caretaker PM but the PML-N rejected the proposal.
In an interview last month, PM Abbasi had said the caretaker premier should be such a person, who remains undisputed and non-controversial, and whose past is clear.
Mr. Abbasi said there was no logic in delaying the upcoming elections as any holdup in that regard would be dangerous for Pakistan.
He said he had no favourite for the slot.
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