ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee of the Punjab Assembly on Friday failed to finalize the appointment of a caretaker chief minister for the country’s most populous Punjab province, after which the matter is set to be referred to Pakistan’s election oversight body, local media reported.
The six-member committee with equal representation from the treasury and the opposition had only one day, Friday, to deliberate upon the nominations made by the outgoing chief minister Pervaiz Elahi and opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz.
As per Article 224-A of the constitution, the parliamentary panel had three days to select one of the four nominees, but due to a delay in the notification for the formation of the panel, the committee was left with only one day to mull over the names, Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported.
Former ministers Raja Basharat, Mian Aslam Iqbal, and Hashim Jawan Bakht represented the ruling alliance in Punjab, while the opposition was represented by Malik Ahmad Khan, Syed Hassan Murtaza, and Malik Nadeem Kamran.
Elahi, the outgoing chief minister, had nominated Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera and Naveed Akram Cheema for caretaker CM’s post, while Shehbaz had endorsed the names of PM’s special assistant Ahad Cheema and media mogul Mohsin Naqvi.
“Provided that in case of inability of the Committee to decide the matter in the aforesaid period, the names of the nominees shall be referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan for final decision within two days,” the constitution says.
The developments come a week after the 17th provincial assembly of Punjab was dissolved on January 14. As per the law, the province has to elect a new legislature no later than April 14.
Both the chief minister and the opposition leader were initially required to forward three names to the governor within three days of the dissolution of the provincial assembly, which fell on January 17. But the chief minister and the leader of the opposition failed to agree on any name, after which they forwarded names of two nominees each to the parliamentary committee as per the constitution.
The matter will now be decided by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) after the parliamentary committee failed to finalize the name of the caretaker CM.
After Friday’s inconclusive meeting, Basharat told reporters that the nominees suggested by the treasury were the “best options if measured by any yardstick,” Dawn reported.
Malik Ahmad Khan, one of the opposition’s representatives, said that both nominations made by Elahi failed to meet the requirements laid down by the law.
“Sukhera was a dual national and under Article 63(1)(c) of the Constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court (PLD 2019 SC 201) was disqualified to become a public officeholder. Likewise, being a serving bureaucrat he also holds an office of profit in the Service of Pakistan and could not become the interim CM under Article 63(1)(d),” Khan was quoted as saying.
“Naveed Akram Cheema has served as the chairman of the Federal Public Service Commission and Section 5 of the ordinance governing the working of the commission says that on ceasing to hold office, a member of the commission shall not be eligible for further employment in the service of Pakistan.”
Pakistan election regulator to pick Punjab caretaker CM amid government, opposition impasse
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Pakistan election regulator to pick Punjab caretaker CM amid government, opposition impasse
- A six-member parliamentary panel was to finalize name for caretaker chief minister’s post by Friday
- If the panel fails to finalize a name, the matter is referred to election regulator as per constitution
Islamabad says surge in aircraft orders after India standoff could end IMF reliance
- Pakistani jets came into the limelight after Islamabad claimed to have shot down six Indian aircraft during a standoff in May last year
- Many countries have since stepped up engagement with Pakistan, while others have proposed learning from PAF’s multi-domain capabilities
ISLAMABAD: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday said Pakistan has witnessed a surge in aircraft orders after a four-day military standoff with India last year and, if materialized, they could end the country’s reliance on the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The statement came hours after a high-level Bangladeshi defense delegation met Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu to discuss a potential sale of JF-17 Thunder aircraft, a multi-role fighter jointly developed by China and Pakistan that has become the backbone of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) over the past decade.
Fighter jets used by Pakistan came into the limelight after Islamabad claimed to have shot down six Indian aircraft, including French-made Rafale jets, during the military conflict with India in May last year. India acknowledged losses in the aerial combat but did not specify a number.
Many countries have since stepped up defense engagement with Pakistan, while delegations from multiple other nations have proposed learning from Pakistan Air Force’s multi-domain air warfare capabilities that successfully advanced Chinese military technology performs against Western hardware.
“Right now, the number of orders we are receiving after reaching this point is significant because our aircraft have been tested,” Defense Minister Asif told a Pakistan’s Geo News channel.
“We are receiving those orders, and it is possible that after six months we may not even need the IMF.”
Pakistan markets the Chinese co-developed JF-17 as a lower-cost multi-role fighter and has positioned itself as a supplier able to offer aircraft, training and maintenance outside Western supply chains.
“I am saying this to you with full confidence,” Asif continued. “If, after six months, all these orders materialize, we will not need the IMF.”
Pakistan has repeatedly turned to the IMF for financial assistance to stabilize its economy. These loans come with strict conditions including fiscal reforms, subsidy cuts and measures to increase revenue that Pakistan must implement to secure disbursements.
In Sept. 2024, the IMF approved a $7 billion bailout for Pakistan under its Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program and a separate $1.4 billion loan under its climate resilience fund in May 2025, aimed at strengthening the country’s economic and climate resilience.
Pakistan has long been striving to expand defense exports by leveraging its decades of counter-insurgency experience and a domestic industry that produces aircraft, armored vehicles, munitions and other equipment.
The South Asian country reached a deal worth over $4 billion to sell military equipment to the Libyan National Army, Reuters report last month, citing Pakistani officials. The deal, one of Pakistan’s largest-ever weapons sales, included the sale of 16 JF-17 fighter jets and 12 Super Mushak trainer aircraft for basic pilot training.
