ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that former finance minister Hafeez Shaikh is among the shortlisted candidates for the position of caretaker Prime Minister in Pakistan.
According to Sanaullah, there has been a consensus among political parties that a “neutral” person should be appointed to the role. When asked if Shaikh was willing to take up the responsibility, Sanaullah expressed confidence that he would be willing.
The list of shortlisted candidates reportedly also includes former Chief Justice of Pakistan Tassaduq Hussain Jillani. However, Sanaullah’s response regarding a retired judge’s inclusion was ambiguous. Moreover, he emphasized that the caretaker Prime Minister would not be from any political party to maintain neutrality.
The name of the caretaker Prime Minister is expected to be announced on Tuesday or Wednesday. The caretaker government’s main responsibility is to oversee the administration and conduct free and fair elections until the next elected government takes office.
Khursheed Shah Says PPP Will Need To Take A Stand In Case Of Poll Delays
Earlier, Syed Khursheed Shah stated that the PPP will take a decisive position if there is a delay in elections. The government had previously announced that the assemblies would be dissolved on August 9. However, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has expressed concerns about holding elections timely based on the new census.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent statement about conducting elections based on the latest census has created uncertainty. The ECP has expressed its inability to hold polls based on the new population count within the specified time. It requires a fresh delimitation of constituencies, which could take months.
