Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to meet outgoing Opposition Leader in the National Assembly (NA) Raja Riaz today to reach a consensus on selecting a name for the caretaker premier.<\/p>\n
The sun set on the coalition government\u2019s regime on Wednesday after President Alvi dissolved the lower house of the Parliament, three days before the completion of its five-year tenure, shortly after a summary signed by PM Shehbaz, advising the same, was sent to the Presidency.<\/p>\n
A statement issued by the Presidency just before midnight read, \u201cPresident Arif Alvi has dissolved the National Assembly under Article 58(1) on the advice of the prime minister.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the approval of the summary, the federal cabinet also stands dissolved.<\/p>\n
On Thursday morning, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs also issued a notification saying the president had dissolved the NA \u201cwith immediate effect\u201d.<\/p>\n
The outgoing government has so far failed to name the caretaker prime minister who would spearhead the interim set-up till general elections, which are likely to be delayed after the notification of the latest census.<\/p>\n
However, till the appointment of the caretaker prime minister, PM She\u00adhbaz will act as the caretaker prime minister. According to Article 94 of the Constitution, \u201cThe president may ask the prime minister to continue to hold office until his successor enters upon the office of prime minister.\u201d<\/p>\n
PM Shehbaz, in his farewell address at the NA yesterday, said he would meet Riaz today to evolve a consensus on the name of the interim prime minister \u2014 a constitutional requirement.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will meet Raja Riaz sahib tomorrow and shake hands with him \u2026 as the Constitution says, we will discuss names for the interim premier. The first meeting will be held tomorrow (Thursday) \u2026 the Constitution gives us three days [to decide the name of the interim PM],\u201d he had said.<\/p>\n
Earlier today, the premier wrote a letter to Riaz inviting him for a meeting today over consultations on the caretaker prime minister, according to Radio Pakistan.<\/p>\n
In his letter, PM Shehbaz said the president had dissolved the NA under Article 58(1) of the Constitution, adding that he was ready to fulfil his constitutional responsibility regarding the appointment of the interim PM.<\/p>\n
In case the two fail to agree on a name, the matter would be referred to a parliamentary committee. If the committee fails to make any decision, then the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will have two days to choose the caretaker prime minister from the list of names shared with the commission.<\/p>\n
Earlier, the premier had denied the finalisation of any candidates for the post, adding that consultations with the government\u2019s allies and his own party members on the matter were a \u201ccontinuous process\u201d that would be completed within a day or two.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, Riaz had told reporters earlier this week that the names for the caretaker PM were finalised after he held three meetings with lawmakers from the opposition. \u201cThey do not include any politicians, but an economist has been shortlisted,\u201d he had revealed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to meet outgoing Opposition Leader in the National Assembly (NA) Raja Riaz today to reach a consensus on selecting a name for the caretaker premier. The sun set on the coalition government\u2019s regime on Wednesday after President Alvi dissolved the lower house of the Parliament, three days before the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":348380,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-348368","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n