LAHORE: The much-anticipated meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Opposition leader Raja Riaz today (Wednesday) to discuss caretaker premier names before general elections is postponed again.
Raja Riaz’s hectic itinerary prevents him from meeting the prime minister today, sources said.
He said his meeting would happen today despite the delay. “We can see the prime minister tomorrow.”
The Opposition leader was notified in writing of the 4pm meeting.
A technocrat-led temporary administration will oversee an election without PTI Chairman Imran Khan when parliament dissolved today.
After a months-long crackdown on his party, the former premier, dismissed last year, arrested for graft over the weekend.
The outgoing government has warned that elections may delayed beyond the legal 90 days after parliament’s dissolution.
Raja Riaz rejected a standoff with the premier when asked. He confirmed today’s assembly dissolution.
Statement
“There is time for three days, during which consultations will be done together,” he added, adding that if there is no consensus on the three temporary premier names, they will go to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Riaz promised the prime minister a single name. “All efforts will be made to finalise the name of the interim [premier] with the prime minister.”
Geo News asked the Opposition leader if a politician or bureaucracy was better for the job. “There will a better name that will appreciated by the public and media,” he replied.
On Tuesday, the opposition leader told Geo News that the government will share its interim prime minister nominees and that he will also offer a few.
“Prior to this, no name for the caretaker prime minister from the premie given nor there any consultation,” Riaz stated.
After consulting with colleagues, he chose three names. Riaz informed Geo News that PM Shehbaz said the caretaker prime minister will decide after consultation.
“Shehbaz Sharif had said that no name has shortlisted yet for the caretaker prime minister and Nawaz Sharif consulted on this matter,” Riaz added, adding that the PML-N is trying to introduce an acceptable name.
Former finance minister Hafeez Sheikh shortlisted by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah previously.
On Tuesday, PM Shehbaz announced that he would write to President Dr. Arif Alvi today (August 9) to dissolve the National Assembly, ending the present government’s tenure prematurely.
The government would dissolve assemblies three days early and hold elections within 90 days.
PM Shehbaz told a ceremony in Islamabad, “After completing our [government’s] term tomorrow, I will write and send [the advice] to the president to dissolve the assembly and then an interim government will take over.”
