ISLAMABAD: Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly Asad Qaiser on Wednesday wrote letters to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif, seeking four names from each one of them to constitute a parliamentary committee that would be tasked to appoint a caretaker prime minister.
Last Sunday, President Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly on Khan’s advice after a no-confidence motion against the latter was dismissed by the deputy speaker that triggered a political and constitutional crisis in the country.
According to Article 224 (A) 1 of the constitution, if a prime minister and leader of the opposition fail to agree on the name of a caretaker prime minister within three days of the dissolution of the National Assembly, they will forward two nominees each to a committee that will be constituted by the speaker.
“Names have been sought for a parliamentary committee to appoint a caretaker prime minister,” Qaiser wrote in a Twitter post. “Letters have been sent to the prime minister of Pakistan and leader of the opposition in this regard. The letters are written under the powers designated by Article 224 (A) 1 of the constitution.”
Earlier this week, President Arif Alvi also sent letters to the prime minister and leader of the opposition, seeking suggestions for the appointment of an interim premier.
In response, PM Khan nominated Pakistan’s former chief justice Gulzar Ahmed for the post of the caretaker prime minister.
The president also asked the country’s election commission to specify dates to conduct fresh polls in the country on Wednesday.
The president’s office tweeted that a letter was sent to the election commission since the constitution required it hold the polls “within 90 days of the dissolution of the National Assembly.”
