Caretaker PM: NA speaker writes to PM Imran, opposition leader to constitute committee

National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Wednesday sought four names each from Prime Minister Imran Khan and Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif to constitute a parliamentary committee for the appointment of a caretaker prime minister, Aaj News reported.

The speaker wrote the letters under the powers assigned to him per Article 224A-1 of the Constitution.

Earlier today, Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif rejected Prime Minister Imran Khan's proposal to appoint former Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed for the post of caretaker Prime Minister, saying that the ruling of the National Assembly Deputy Speaker on the no-trust vote was "unconstitutional."

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Shehbaz was responding to Dr Arif Alvi's letter, which he wrote on Sunday, requesting PM Imran and the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly to propose a name for appointment as caretaker prime minister for holding general elections in the country. However, both leaders failed to reach a consensus on the issue.

President Alvi on Sunday dissolved the National Assembly and the Cabinet under Article 58(1) of the Constitution of Pakistan and ordered fresh elections in the country, on the advice of PM Imran.

The President had written the letter under Article 224-A(1) of the Constitution of Pakistan to the prime minister and the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly.

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He conveyed to both the leaders that 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 caretaker 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, in pursuance of Article 224-A(1) of the Constitution of Pakistan.

He further wrote that the incumbent prime minister shall continue to hold the Office of the Prime Minister till the appointment of the caretaker prime minister under Article 224A(4) of the Constitution.

It is worth mentioning that the Constitution of the country empowers the president, under Article 224-A(1), to appoint a caretaker prime minister in consultation with the prime minister and the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly.