Parliamentary body formed to finalise caretaker Punjab CM

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan has formed a six-member parliamentary committee for finalising the nomination for the caretaker Punjab chief minister (CM) post, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The parliamentary committee was formed in pursuance of letters written to the Punjab Assembly speaker by the Opposition Leader Hamza Shehbaz and Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi.

The committee members include Malik Ahmed Khan, Hassan Murtaza, Nadeem Kamran, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Raja Basharat and Makhdoom Hashim Jawab Bakht.

The committee has to finalise caretaker Punjab CM name within three days, according to the notification.

The issue of the nomination of the caretaker chief minister of Punjab was referred to the parliamentary committee after the ruling alliance and opposition failed to finalised caretaker CM Punjab.

After dissolution of the Punjab Assembly, consultations between the ruling PTI and PML-Q, and the opposition Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) are underway for appointment of the caretaker chief minister.

Opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz has sent names of Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi and Ahad Raza Cheema to Punjab governor for appointment as the caretaker chief minister of Punjab.

The PTI-PMLQ has finalized three names for the caretaker Punjab CM. The names included Cabinet Secretary Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera, former health minister Naseer Khan and former chief secretary Nasir Saeed Khosa.

‘Ruling alliance to oppose ECP nominated caretaker CM’

Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said on Thursday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and PML-Q will not accept the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) nominated caretaker Punjab CM.

Talking to media here, Punjab CM Elahi said that PTI and PML-Q will not accept the ECP-nominated caretaker CM. He said that they [PTI, PML-Q] will approach Supreme Court (SC) if CEC nominated a caretaker Punjab chief minister.

“We have sent our final nominees to Punjab governor for caretaker CM,” said Pervaiz Elahi, adding that there would be no changes in the nominees.

What does Constitution say?

As per Constitution, both sides have to agree on one name as caretaker CM. However, if this does not happen, the matter will be referred to the parliamentary committee to be set up by the speaker, which will consider the names within three days.

As per the procedure laid out in the law, the speaker will have to constitute a six-member committee comprising three MPAs each nominated by the outgoing ruling party and the opposition

In case of a failure to reach an agreement, the task to appoint the interim CM would be handed over to the ECP.