All eyes on PM Abbasi, Shah as consensus over caretaker setup yet to be reached

ISLAMABAD: With less than a week remaining till the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) led government completes its tenure, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah are yet to reach a consensus over the caretaker setup.

So far, five meetings have been held between PM Abbasi and Shah but all of them ended in a deadlock, with the matter now expected to be taken to a parliamentary committee.

“It is Khursheed Shah’s opinion to wait till Monday and if a name [for the caretaker PM] is not decided upon then the names should be sent to the committee. If the committee cannot decide the matter, it will be sent to the Election Commission,” Prime Minister Abbasi told Hamid Mir during an interview on Thursday.

The prime minister said that the reason for the deadlock was because both parties did not agree upon names for the caretaker prime minister proposed by the other. “They do not accept our three names and we do not accept the three names they [opposition] have put forward. However, a consensus can still be reached on a fourth name.”

During an earlier news conference, Prime Minister Abbasi said he would be meeting Shah either today (Friday) or Monday in another attempt to reach a consensus. 

'Wished to propose judges' names for caretaker PM'

On the other hand,  Shah expressed displeasure Thursday night at being told that no judges would be named as candidates for the position of caretaker prime minister, especially considering that the incumbent government, as per sources, put forward the names of two former chief justices, Geo News reported.

Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) said his party wished to propose the names of certain judges as the caretaker PM. However, it was not clear which names he had in mind.

Earlier, sources had said the current leadership suggested names of Justices (retd) Nasir-ul-Mulk and (retd) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani — both ex-chief justices of Pakistan — whereas the PPP finalised Zaka Ashraf and Jalil Abbas Jilani as its candidates for the position.

Shah subsequently announced that he would not be meeting Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for a consultation on the name of the caretaker premier.

The PPP leader noted that Abbasi has, from time to time, backtracked from his position in consultative meetings with him. The two have met six times to date over the issue but no consensus could be reached.