KARACHI: After the controversy created by the remarks of Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah against creation of a new province in Sindh, it is likely that the matter of naming a caretaker chief minister will be referred to the parliamentary committee.

While winding up the general discussion on next financial year’s budget recently, the chief minister had condemned Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Khwaja Izharul Hasan’s speech regarding a separate province, saying: “I condemn and curse all those who want a separate province.”

It was expected earlier that the leader of the opposition would announce the name on Wednesday, but now it appears unlikely that he and the chief minister could reach a consensus on the name for caretaker chief minister.

Earlier some broad understanding had been reached between the two leaders on the names of Hamir Soomro, retired Justice Ghulam Sarwar Korai and Dr Younis Soomro.

According to analysts, if the parliamentary committee comprising two members each from the opposition and the ruling party also failed to reach a consensus or its members boycotted the meeting on any pretext, the matter would be referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The assembly would stand dissolved automatically after completion of its tenure on the night of May 28, but the chief minister would remain in office until the name of caretaker CM proposed by the chief minister and the leader of opposition is announced either by the parliamentary committee or the ECP.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2018