ISLAMABAD: President Dr. Arif Alvi has written letters to outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Raja Riaz, requesting them to appoint the caretaker prime minister.
Amidst stalled negotiations to select the next caretaker premier, President Alvi, in his capacity as the country’s supreme commander, announced that the Prime Minister had advised him to dissolve the National Assembly under Article 58 (1) of the Constitution. Consequently, President Alvi approved the Prime Minister’s advice and dissolved the lower house of parliament.
In a notification released from the President’s House, Alvi urged both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition to propose a suitable candidate for the important role within 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister and Raja Riaz are scheduled to convene for a second round of discussions today to finalize the appointment, a topic that has been widely discussed.
Earlier meetings between the two leaders failed to reach a decision on a nominee. If an agreement cannot be reached between the two sides, the matter will be referred to a parliamentary committee. Should the committee also fail to reach a decision, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will have a two-day window to select the caretaker prime minister.
