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Monday, October 7, 2024

PTI nominates names for Caretaker PM

News Analysis |

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has suggested the names of economist Ishrat Hussain and former Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani for the caretaker Prime Minister of the country. PTI’s senior leader Naeem ul Haq said his party has finalized names for the slots of Punjab chief minister and caretaker Prime Minister, he told BBC Urdu.

For the caretaker CM Punjab, PTI has suggested the names of former State Bank of Pakistan Governor Shahid Kardar, industrialist Abdul Razak Dawood, Former Police Officer Tariq Khosa, and economist Dr. Salman Shah. PTI spokesperson and Secretary Information, Fawad Chaudhary, also confirmed the names, while talking to private channels.

PTI knows the importance of Punjab. It can make and break for the party. If it can control the affairs and doesn’t allow the ruling party to build any nexus with other stakeholders, it can be a front-runner in the province.

Pakistan is facing an economic crisis. The situation requires able hands to maneuver the ship in the right direction. PTI believes that only the technocrats who specialize in the field must be at the helm to take the country out of this quagmire.

Speculators have suggested that there is a conflict between certain quarters over the names of the caretaker setup, along with the duration of the interim government. Ruling party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has suggested a number of times that it will ensure that elections take place within a couple of months of caretaker setup. But, the certain quarter didn’t intend the elections to take place in July, but in August.

Read more: PTI, JUI-S join hands to form strategy for upcoming elections  

The PML-N Government will conclude its five-year-term on May 31, after which the interim setup will takeover to conduct the elections within the specified time. PTI’s Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi will present the names from his party to Opposition leader Khursheed Shah, who will forward these names to Prime Minister Shahid Haqqan Abbasi.

Both the parties-PPP and PTI held meetings to discuss the names of the nominees for the caretaker prime minister and chief ministers. They exchanged views on it while discussing Senate elections. But, no formal meeting took place between Qureshi and Shah.

PTI senior leaders had expressed the desire to have a say in the caretaker setup at the center, but, Khursheed Shah had said that there isn’t a need to consult PTI in the center. Because constitution doesn’t allow this. According to the constitution, PTI is not a stakeholder in the process, because, PM Pakistan can only appoint the names of the caretaker PM and CM after consultation with the opposition leader.

Pakistan is facing an economic crisis. The situation requires able hands to maneuver the ship in the right direction. PTI believes that only the technocrats who specialize in the field must be at the helm to take the country out of this quagmire.

If in case, PPP and PML-N fail to build a consensus, Election Commission of Pakistan has to step in to decide on caretaker PM.

Read more: “Nawaz must tell who rigged the elections”, PTI

Profile of PTI Nominees

Though, the party is yet to share the names with relevant stakeholders, but, it will be announced soon. PTI’s nominee for premiership, Dr. Ishrat Hussain is the former governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the dean of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi.

Justice (retired) Tassaduq Hussain Jilani was the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) from December 12, 2013, to July 5, 2014. Among the nominees for Punjab Government, industrialist Abdur Razzaq Dawood has served in Pervez Musharaf’s regime as a commerce minister from 1999 to 2002.

Former bureaucrat- Tariq Khosa, served the country as IG Balochistan, DG FI, and Anti-Narcotics Division secretary. His brother-Justice Asif Saeed Khosa is part of the bench which disqualified former PM Nawaz Sharif. The economist Dr. Salman Shah was an advisor on finance to PM Shaukat Aziz. He has also worked in a previous caretaker setup under caretaker PM Muhammad Mian Soomro.

Read more: PML-N causes huge upset by beating PTI in Lodhran by-elections

Punjab will be the Key

PTI may want to play a role, along with other opposition parties but the constitution does not allow it. PTI has shown apprehension over PPP and PML-N again, collaborating for caretaker PM, because, PTI held the duo responsible for 2013 election debacle. Any controversial hidden deal can apparently make the elections scandalous again.

However, in Punjab, PTI is an opposition party and can build a consensus for caretaker CM, where it can explicitly play a role to nominate a caretaker setup along with ruling party. PTI’s opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed will present the names of the party’s nominees for the next caretaker Punjab CM to Shehbaz Sharif. PTI intends to consult other opposition parties before nominating name of the interim CM.

PTI knows the importance of Punjab. It can make and break for the party. If it can control the affairs and doesn’t allow the ruling party to build any nexus with other stakeholders, it can be a front-runner in the province.