ISLAMABAD: The names of former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and independent lawmaker from Balochistan Aslam Bhootani, among others, are under consideration for the caretaker prime minister position.
The meeting of allied parties today will also discuss ex-finance minister Dr. Hafeez Sheikh and Fawad Hassan Fawad, the ex-principal secretary to Nawaz Sharif, as potential candidates as well.
Currently, the coalition partners are having a Zoom meeting to exchange views on the caretaker setup as the government nears the end of its term. The huddle is attended by leaders such as Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, and other senior leaders.
The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders have held back-to-back meetings, but no decision has been taken on this matter yet.
During a dinner reception on Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif revealed to the allies that the National Assembly would be dissolved prematurely on August 9, three days before its term ends.
According to the laws, if any assembly completes its tenure before dissolution, elections to the legislature are held within 60 days. However, if it is dissolved prematurely, elections are held within 90 days.
At the dinner, the premier spoke about the unprecedented challenges he faced after the formation of the coalition government on April 11 last year. These challenges included economic difficulties, cumbersome talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), disastrous floods, hyperinflation, and political chaos.
He recalled that “Imran Niazi and his gang created political chaos with their baseless accusations, riots, and long marches.”
The premier emphasized the importance of political stability for the progress of a country and expressed that the politics of the country was poisoned with the culture of baseless allegations and abuse.
Discussion Regarding economy
Shehbaz also discussed the uphill challenge of negotiating with the IMF and how a lack of agreement would have burdened the economy, putting pressure on foreign exchange reserves, devalued the rupee, and caused unemployment.
He expressed gratitude towards the coalition partners and his party leadership, including Nawaz, Asif Zardari, Fazl, and others for their guidance, support, and confidence in him in the National Assembly.
The premier also praised the National Assembly speaker and the Senate chairman for amicably running the proceedings of the Parliament.
