Dr Hasan Askari takes oath as Punjab caretaker CM

LAHORE: Professor Dr Hasan Askari Rizvi on Friday took oath as the Punjab caretaker chief minister in a ceremony held in Lahore.

Governor Punjab Rafique Rajwana administered oath to Dr Askari, whose name for the provincial caretaker role was finalised by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Hassan Askari Rizvi is a political scientist who wrote over civil-military relations in Pakistan and is noted for his work in comparative politics, nuclear weapons, and the country’s domestic policy.

He is professor emeritus of political science at the Punjab University, Lahore as well as a media personality regularly appearing in various television channels to comment on country’s politics and current affairs.

A day ago, the election commission decided the name of Hassan Askari as interim chief minister of the province after failure of the opposition and the government to strike a consensus over the name for the slot.

The election commission selected the name of Hassan Askari from the four names proposed by the government and the opposition.

The controversy

On Thursday, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) expressed reservations over appointment of Dr Hasan Askari as caretaker chief minister of Punjab, saying that he was a partial figure who could jeopardize the electoral process.

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, at a press conference the same day, said that it was unfortunate that Askari was selected as he was a vocal critic of the PML-N, and his criticism of political figures is well-known.

He said that it was necessary that an impartial individual was chosen to conduct free, fair and transparent elections. “It is unfortunate that Election Commission nominated Hasan Askari. It is necessary to choose an impartial figure to conduct free and fair elections.”

He said that Hasan Askari’s name was suggested by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, and the professor has indicated in his columns that elections can be delayed, referred to martial laws, and stated that elections should not be held in the extreme summers.

“It seems Hasan Askari is not well-versed with the constitution. This proves that he is not impartial,” he said adding that the parliamentary committee had sent Askari’s record to the ECP.