Islamabad (Web Desk): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and outgoing Opposition Leader in the National Assembly (NA) Raja Riaz are expected to reach a consensus on selecting a name for the caretaker prime minister today (Saturday).
Earlier, PM Shehbaz expressed the confidence that the name of caretaker premier will be finalised by today.
Talking to journalists in Islamabad, he said coalition partners will be taken into confidence over the matter before taking a final decision.
On Friday, President Dr Arif Alvi has asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition Raja Riaz Ahmed to propose caretaker Prime Minister by today.
In a letter written to the premier and Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing NA, the President said the Constitution requires proposing of caretaker Prime Minister by them within three days of the dissolution of National Assembly.
He said the National Assembly was dissolved on Wednesday on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
It is pertinent to mention that if the prime minister and opposition leader fail to agree on the name within three days, the matter will go to the parliamentary committee for the appointment of a caretaker PM.
As per the law, the premier and the opposition leader will send their respective preferences for the coveted post to the parliamentary committee.
The parliamentary committee will have to finalise the name of the caretaker PM within three days and if it too failed to reach a consensus on the name, then the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will pick the caretaker prime minister within two days from the names proposed by the opposition and the government.
Under the law, elections should be held within 90 days of NA's dissolution.
However, after the Council of Common Interests (CCI) approved new census results, ECP is required to carry out fresh delimitation that may take three to four months.
