ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain has decided to postpone his foreign trip in order to administer oath to the next prime minister.
Caretaker Law and Information Minister Barrister Ali Zafar has met with the president and reportedly convinced the president to postpone his trip to ensure the transfer of power.
The president was scheduled to visit Edinburgh, Scotland for a private visit from August 16 to August 19.
President Mamnoon Hussain on Thursday approved a summary sent by Caretaker Prime Minister Nasir-ul-Mulk to summon the inaugural session of the National Assembly on August 13 at 10 AM.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan is set to be elected as the next prime minister, but the oath-ceremony may be delayed beyond August 14. He is likely to be administered oath on August 17.
PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry on Thursday had claimed that Imran Khan will be elected PM in first round of voting as the party has the support of majority of the members. He said Imran Kan can take oath as premier on either August 15, 16 or 17.
PTI leader Naeem-ul-Haque had also urged the president to delay his foreign trip in order to administer oath to the next prime minister.
On the first day of the session, the newly-elected members of the National Assembly will take oath of office. This will be followed by the elections of the speaker, the deputy speaker and then the leader of the house who would eventually become the prime minister.
This whole process might take three to four days as the process of nomination papers, scrutiny of nomination papers and the election for the three posts would be time consuming.
As soon as the newly-elected prime minister would take oath, the caretaker government would be dysfunctional and cease to exist completing the transfer of power to the newly-elected government under the law and the Constitution.
