The Cabinet Secretary, senior person most in the executive hierarchy after the prime minister, is empowered to take decisions after removal of the Chief Executive and dissolution of the Federal Cabinet. As per Rules of Business of the government, decision making is automatically transferred to the senior most official in the hierarchy in the absence of the chief executive from the country or in any other situation. However, if there is some kind of emergency, the Cabinet Secretary would take approval from the President.
An official said that respective secretaries of the Ministries and Divisions are fully empowered to take decisions in day-to-day affairs of the government. He added that the Cabinet Secretary has been exercising the powers of the Prime Minister when he was abroad either on official or personal visit. An official of the Finance Ministry said that technically it seems that all the files are piling up in the Prime Minister's Office and decision making is stalled till the interim Prime Minister takes charge.