Justice (retd) Nasirul Mulk takes oath as caretaker PM

ISLAMABAD: Former Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice (retd) Nasirul Mulk took oath as Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister at the President House today (Friday). 

President Mamnoon Hussain administered oath to the caretaker prime minister at a ceremony which was also attended by the Senate chairman, deputy chairman, politicians and military officials.

While speaking to journalists after taking oath, the newly-appointed caretaker premier said they will announce the Cabinet members after discussion. He added the Cabinet would be concise as a few members would be appointed.

When asked about elections, Mulk said they will make sure elections are held on time and in a transparent manner. “Will fulfil the responsibility we have come for.”

The caretaker prime minister said they would support the Election Commission of Pakistan for timely and fair elections. 

After taking oath, the caretaker premier was presented with a guard of honour at the PM House.

Mulk is the seventh caretaker prime minister of Pakistan.

The federal government completed its five-year constitutional term late Thursday, after which the interim government took over the reins of the country on Friday.

This is the first time in Pakistan’s history that a second consecutive democratic government has completed its five-year tenure.

The former chief justice was unanimously nominated as the caretaker prime minister by the government and opposition.

On May 28, former Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah had announced that Justice (retd) Mulk will take reigns as caretaker premier while addressing a press conference along with former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.

Shah said, "The name of the person I would like to present is a very respectable one. The name is Nasirul Mulk, who has served as chief justice. He played a historic role in the judiciary and when he was a lawyer," the PPP leader announced.

Humble beginnings 

Mulk, who has also served as the interim chief of Election Commission of Pakistan, will be heading the government until the general elections as the incumbent setup will be dissolved soon.

He was born on August 17, 1950, in Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and has served as the 22nd Chief Justice of Pakistan taking oath after Tassaduq Hussain Jillani retired from the post.

Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk was a barrister-at-law of the Inner Temple, London. He was elected as secretary general, Peshawar High Court Bar Association in 1981.

In 1993, he was appointed as the advocate general of KP, formerly known as North-West Frontier Province. A year later, in 1994, he was appointed as the judge of Peshawar High Court.

He was elevated as chief justice of Peshawar High Court on May 31, 2004, and as a Supreme Court judge on April 4, 2005. Justice Nasirul Mulk took oath as Chief Justice of Pakistan on 6th July 2014 and served in the capacity for about a year.