PTI, PML-N fail to reach consensus on Punjab's caretaker chief minister

• Deadlock persists over selection of caretaker CM.
• PML-N forwarded names of Ahad Cheema and Mohsin Naqvi.
• PTI had nominated Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera, Naseer Ahmed Khan and Nasir Mahmood Khosa.

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi and Leader of the Opposition Hamza Shehbaz Tuesday failed to reach a consensus on the nominees for caretaker CM after which Punjab Governor Baligh ur Rehman Tuesday directed Speaker Sibtain Khan to constitute a parliamentary committee for the selection of a caretaker chief minister.

The development comes after CM Parvez Elahi and the Leader of the Opposition Hamza Shehbaz failed to reach a consensus on the nominees for the top slot, Baligh ur Rehman said in a tweet.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had sent the names of Adviser to the Prime Minister on Establishment Ahad Cheema and senior journalist Mohsin Naqvi to the governor for consideration while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had nominated Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera, Naseer Ahmed Khan and Nasir Mahmood Khosa for interim chief minister.

Governor Rehman said that he has sent a summary to the speaker to proceed with the constitutional process of appointment of the caretaker chief minister.

“Consequent to the fact that the chef minister and the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing Provincial Assembly of Punjab have not agreed on any person to be appointed as the caretaker chief minister within the stipulated time-frame in terms of Article 224(1A) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, you are hereby required to fulfill your obligation in the manner prescribed in Article 224A(2) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, under intimation to the undersigned,” the summary reads.

The provincial legislature stood dissolved on Saturday two days after the summary was sent by the chief minister to the governor who did not approve it.

PTI sent its nominees on Sunday while PML-N shared its recommendations on Tuesday for the office, hours before the deadline.

CM Elahi and Hamza had 10pm till Tuesday to agree on a name for the caretaker chief minister, however, they failed to agree after which the governor directed the speaker to proceed with the formation of a parliamentary committee.

Now, a bi-partisan panel will be formed comprising three members each from the treasury and opposition benches to whom two nominees will be sent and they will have three days to come to a conclusion.

In case of disagreement, the matter will be decided by the Election Commission of Pakistan.