ISLAMABAD: Awami Muslim League (AML) President Sheikh Rashid demanded on Wednesday that the Supreme Court appoint a caretaker government, even if it has to impose judicial martial law for 90 days, to supervise the upcoming general election.

He made the demand during a press conference at the National Press Club, saying that the caretaker prime minister was actually the responsibility of the SC, as the leader of the opposition and the prime minister would not bring forward a suitable individual.

“The chief justice of Pakistan should supervise the general election in consultation with Election Commission of Pakistan to stop election rigging and in this regard, he will impose judicial martial law for 90 days until election day,” Sheikh Rashid told Dawn afterwards.

During the conference, Sheikh Rashid said that the constitution of the interim government was the biggest problem facing the country at present. He claimed that the whole nation was looking towards the SC.

“There is a dire need to appoint a suitable person as caretaker prime minister, as the elections are being organised in a difficult atmosphere. If any controversial person is appointment to the post of interim premiership, stakeholders will lose faith in 2018 general election,” he said.

Sheikh Rashid also made it clear that he would not accept any name for caretaker prime minister in absence of the consultation of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan.

He also claimed that economic problems had been created to make people think that Nawaz Sharif was the person to bring the country out of economic crisis.

Sheikh Rashid also announced that he would contest the elections from two National Assembly constituencies from Rawalpindi, and would continue to expose the PML-N’s corruption.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2018