Leader of the opposition in National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Monday formally forwarded three names to Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf as possible candidates for the slot of the caretaker prime minister. Through a letter in response to the prime minister's earlier letter, Nisar proposed three names including two former judges namely Shakirullah Jan and Nasir Aslam Zahid, and nationalist politician Rasool Bux Palejo, the founder of Awami Tehrik.
In his letter, Nisar expressed the hope that consensus could be reached between the government and the opposition to bring a neutral person as caretaker prime minister for holding free, fair and transparent elections. Earlier, talking to reporters outside parliament house, Nisar lashed out at Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira for ridiculing the names proposed by the opposition, saying that none of the candidates belong to PML-N. "They will be satisfied only when I propose names of Jahangir Badar or Qamar Zaman Kaira for the slot of the caretaker prime minister," he added.
He said that PTI was also consulted over the three names besides other opposition political parties. He said that under Article 224 of the Constitution, the leader of the opposition could send even more than three names to the Prime Minister. However, he said if the outgoing opposition leader and the leader of the house do not reach a consensus on a name for the Prime Minister then the matter would be sent to the parliamentary committee comprising four members each from opposition and the government.
He also referred to Article 224 (A), saying that the outgoing opposition leader and the prime minister would be bound to propose two names each to the parliamentary committee. Referring to some media reports that Speaker National Assembly had started consultation about the parliamentary committee Nisar said that the speaker had no such authority to set up the committee. The Speaker just notifies the members of the committee proposed by leader of the opposition and the prime minister, he added.
About the caretaker chief minister in Punjab, he said that the consultation was about to complete to bring a neutral caretaker chief minister in the province. He said that the dissolution of Punjab assembly on March 16 was conditional, adding that if the caretaker set-up was installed in consultation with all political parties then Punjab assembly will also be dissolved on March 16. "If the 'games' being played in Sindh and Balochistan did not come to an end...then Punjab Assembly will be dissolved only after completion of its constitutional term on April 8," he added.
Nisar made it clear that the PML-N still had a card to play if the PPP leadership does not stop playing tactics regarding installation of impartial caretaker set ups in Balochistan and Sindh. "What could be the bigger joke than MQM opting to sit on opposition benches just 10 days before the completion of the constitutional terms of the assemblies and now the PPP and MQM, who were allies in the governments, will hold consultations for the caretaker set up in Sindh," he pointed out.
When asked about perceived IMF pressure for nomination of former Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh as caretaker prime minister, he said; "Don't even think about him (Sheikh)". Responding another query about the government's reservations over the amended nomination forms, Nisar said the PML-N fully support the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) which would hold the defining elections in a fair and transparent manner. Referring to the Tax Laws (Amendment) Bill 2012, which the government is keen to pass it from the National Assembly, Nisar said that his party would block the bill with full force.
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