Caretaker PM: PPP, JUI-F reject agreeing on Ishaq Dar's name

The ruling coalition parties, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) have rejected to receive any suggestions from PML-N regarding Ishaq Dar for caretaker prime minister’s (PM) slot, ARY News reported on Sunday.

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.

Sources closer to PPP told ARY News that no agreement was made on Ishaq Dar’s name for the slot. They said that Dar’s name was not suggested and PPP would suggest an impartial candidate for the post.

Moreover, PPP leader Faisal Karim Kundi said that they do not hold any discussions regarding Dar’s appointment as the caretaker PM. “PML-N has not shared Dar’s name with the PPP. When names will be shared, then PPP will hold discussions.”

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“The caretaker premier will be finalised with the consensus of the prime minister and the opposition leader but no names were suggested nor shortlisted so far. Moreover, three names would be shortlisted by the coalition parties.”

Faisal Karim Kundi also rejected the reports of any important meeting in Dubai. The PPP categorically said, “Neither any meeting is being held in Dubai nor it is scheduled.”

He added that PPP would prefer a caretaker finance minister who can take the International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal forward. He said that PPP has many names for the caretaker PM’s post.

It was learnt that Finance Minister Ishaq Dar is likely to become caretaker PM as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) becomes active to convince coalition parties in this regard.

READ: PM Shehbaz says ‘power to be handed over to caretaker set-up in August’

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.

Sources claimed that the finance minister’s name came under discussion during a meeting between PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

Meanwhile, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal – speaking to a private news channel – said Ishaq Dar, or anyone, could be the caretaker prime minister provided the government and opposition agreed.

Ahsan Iqbal said it would be premature to comment further on the matter, stressing again that consensus of the coalition parties in the government and the opposition was required on the candidate.

The tenure of the National Assembly is set to expire on August 12 and meetings are underway between the members of the government on the details of the interim set-up.