BAP forms committee for finalising caretaker PM

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Faisal Karim Kundi said on Thursday that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was not taken into confidence on Army Act amendment bill by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), ARY News reported.

The PPP Information Secretary and State Minister Faisal Karim Kundi said that Raza Rabbani walked out of the parliament’s session in protest against the Army Act amendment bill.

He said that PML-N introduced the bill to the parliament without taking PPP into confidence.

Kundi said that PPP is not in favour of giving additional powers to the caretaker set-up equivalent to an elected government. “Caretaker set-up has only one responsibility to conduct elections.”

He confirmed that PPP and PML-N committees have shared five names each for the caretaker prime minister (PM). “Caretaker PM will be appointed after consultations with the coalition parties.”

READ: Caretaker PM’s name not finalised yet, says Sherry Rehman

It is pertinent to mention here that report started making rounds that Ishaq Dar is likely to become caretaker prime minister (PM) as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) becomes active to convince coalition parties in this regard.

Ishaq Dar is the current finance minister and is considered to be a close ally of the former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.

However, the ruling coalition parties, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) had rejected to receive any suggestions from PML-N regarding Ishaq Dar for caretaker prime minister’s (PM) slot.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman-led JUI-F and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led PPP rejected such reports regarding their agreement on appointing Ishaq Dar as the caretaker PM.

On the other hand, Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar that he will accept any decision the leadership takes about the caretaker Prime Minister

Dar said that the discussion regarding the caretaker prime minister is premature at this time. The coalition government and PDM will decide on the caretaker premier, he added.

The finance minister said that without increasing the powers of the caretaker prime minister the country cannot run but the caretaker government needs 90 days instead of 60 days.