Govt, Opposition at odds over caretaker set up
With both the opposition and government fielding their choices of names for the care taker PM, fears have increased that the two sides would not be able to agree on a consensus and the matter would be referred to the Parliamentary Committee set up by the National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza.
If the matter is referred to the Parliamentary Committee than the current PM and CMs would be able to hold on to their posts till March 26. The federal government on Thursday had proposed three names for the slot of caretaker prime minister. Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has proposed the names of three potential candidates from the PPP side in response to a letter earlier written by the leader of the opposition. These three include Dr Ishrat Husain, Mir Hazar Khan Khoso and Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and its likeminded opposition groups had earlier nominated Justice (r) Nasir Aslam Zahid, Justice (r) Shakirullah Jan and Rasool Bux Paleejo for the office.
The government had vehemently criticised the opposition’s nominees for the caretaker prime minister. Constitutionally under the 20th amendment , an interim prime minister has to be chosen by the leader of the house and leader of the opposition in the National Assembly with consensus. Also under article 224 and clause in case the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly do not agree on any person to be appointed as the care- taker Prime Minister, within three days of the dissolution of the National Assembly, they shall forward two nominees each to a Committee to be immediately constituted by the Speaker of the National Assembly, comprising eight members of the outgoing National Assembly, or the Senate, or both, having equal representation from the Treasury and the Opposition, to be nominated by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition respectively.
While under clause 2 in case a Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing Provincial Assembly do not agree on any person to be appointed as the care- taker Chief Minister, within three days of the dissolution of that Assembly, they shall forward two nominees each to a Committee to be immediately constituted by the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly, comprising six members of the outgoing Provincial Assembly having equal representation from the Treasury and the Opposition, to be nominated by the Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition respectively
The Committee constituted under clause (1) or (2) shall finalize the name of the care-taker Prime Minister or care-taker Chief Minister, as the case may be, within three days of the referral of the matter to it: Provided that in case of inability of the Committee to decide the matter in the aforesaid period, the names of the nominees shall be referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan for final decision within two days.
If the assemblies are dissolved on March 16 than by evening of March 18 a consensus has to be reached on the care taker PM and Chief Ministers otherwise the matter would be referred to the committee, if the matter is sent to committee on March 19 than it has to make a decision by March 21 and if it is unable to make a decision in three days than the matter would be referred to Election Commission by March 23 or 24 and a decision has to be made in two days.
According to legal experts if the matter is referred to the EC than the current PM and CMs can remain on their post for 10 more days that is till March 26.