PTI suggests Dr Hassan Askari, Nasir Durrani for Punjab’s caretaker CM

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has suggested names of Dr Hassan Askari and Nasir Durrani for the position of caretaker chief minister for Punjab.

Punjab Assembly opposition leader, Mehmmod-ur-Rasheed said the names were decided after the party’s leadership held consultations. Rasheed hoped that he would be able to discuss this matter with Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif later this evening.

Dr Hassan Askari is a renowned author and analyst with a PhD in political science from the University of Pennsylvania. Nasir Durrani is a former police officer who has served as the Inspector General of Police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 

Nasir Durrani, later in the evening, excused from undertaking the responsibility, citing poor health as the reason behind his decision.  

Earlier on Thursday, PTI constituted a committee to decide over names for the interim setup in Punjab.

The committee comprised PTI leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Jahangir Tareen, Shafqat Mehmood, Mehmood-ur Rasheed, Aleem Khan, Fawad Chaudhry and the former governor of Punjab, Chaudhry Sarwar.

PTI has announced the new names after withdrawing the name of former bureaucrat Nasir Mehmood Khosa, who was to be the caretaker chief minister of Punjab.

Khosa was named as the caretaker Punjab chief minister on Monday after the provincial government and opposition were said to have reached a consensus on the candidate. However, two days later on Wednesday, the Imran Khan-led PTI withdrew support for his candidature.

Khosa told Geo News that he has decided not to assume charge as the caretaker chief minister in light of the recent controversy surrounding his candidature.

Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been critical of the decision to withdraw the name, stating that the Khosa’s name was put forward after mutual discussion.