ISLAMABAD: Amid fears that the government and the opposition may not reach a consensus on the name of caretaker prime minister and the matter may have to be referred to a parliamentary committee, the two sides on Monday agreed on the name of former chief justice of Pakistan Nasirul Mulk as caretaker prime minister to supervise the upcoming general elections.

Despite a position earlier taken by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that “it will not accept any retired judge for the slot”, the party agreed on the name of ex-CJP Nasirul Mulk when it was proposed. The decision was hailed across the board as not a single party later opposed his nomination.

Before Monday’s sitting, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Leader of the Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah had met four times over the past six weeks to discuss and reach a consensus on the name of caretaker prime minister. However, the discussion had almost hit a deadlock amid overarching uncertainty surrounding the matter, as there were fears that it would finally have to be referred to a parliamentary committee comprising leaders of all parliamentary parties.

The agreement on the name of Nasirul Mulk was announced at a joint press conference addressed by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah and Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq at the Parliament House.

Justice Nasirul Mulk was PML-N nominee; mainstream political parties including PTI hail decision

Soon after the press conference, some journalists approached 67-year-old Nasirul Mulk, who had been made 22nd CJP in 2014, at his residence but he refused to comment on the matter. “I have so far not received any notification regarding the selection of caretaker prime minister, therefore, I cannot comment on it,” he said.

The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had also proposed the names of former chief justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani and former governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Shamshad Akthar. The PPP had nominated Jalil Abbas Jilani, former ambassador to the US, and Zaka Ashraf, a businessman, while the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had given the names of ex-CJP Jillani, Abdur Razzak Dawood, and ex-SBP governor Ishrat Hussain.

Addressing the press conference, Khursheed Shah expressed gratitude to the prime minister and the speaker for making this decision with patience and mutual consent.

“Today politicians have removed the stigma that they cannot make their own decisions,” Mr Shah said.

“The name of the person I would like to present is a very respectable one. The name [of caretaker prime minister] is Nasirul Mulk, who has served as the chief justice of Pakistan,” the opposition leader announced.

Mr Shah expressed the hope that Justice Nasirul Mulk would hold the upcoming general elections in a transparent and impartial manner.

“May Allah give him the passion and courage to successfully conduct free, fair and impartial elections in Pakistan on July 25, 2018,” he added.

PM Abbasi rejected the impression that the government did not want to appoint a retired judge as caretaker prime minister. “Our party has no objection to the nomination of Nasirul Mulk,” he said.

He said all the names proposed by the two sides were credible and thoroughly considered. “We have chosen the name at which no one can point a finger,” as a person having a clean past had been named as the caretaker prime minister, he said.

The prime minister later thanked NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq for playing the role of a mediator and both sides for reaching consensus on the name of the caretaker prime minister. He also congratulated all other stakeholders and said: “We have taken all parties into confidence, chosen his name on the basis of merit and decided upon this name.”

He also expressed satisfaction that the government was completing its five-year term. The term of the present government is expiring on May 31, after which the caretaker set-up will be put in place to run state affairs and hold general elections on July 25.

As the dialogue process between the government and the opposition had hit the deadlock, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) warned that if the name wouldn’t be announced within three days of the government’s dissolution, a bipartisan committee of lawmakers would be created to resolve the matter within the next three days.

Mainstream political parties — PTI, Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party (ANP), Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) — have hailed the nomination of ex-CJP Nasir Mulk for the office of caretaker prime minister.

PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry said his party welcomed the name of Nasirul Mulk as he knew how to hold (free and friar) elections in the country. “His name was among the four probables proposed by the PTI,” Mr Chaudhry claimed.

The spokesman said Nasirul Mulk headed the judicial commission that probed the allegation of rigging in 2013 polls and gave fruitful recommendations. However, he said, there was a need to implement the constitutional steps which had already been taken on the recommendations.

MQM leader Sheikh Salahuddin also welcomed ex-CJP Nasirul Mulk’s nomination and expressed the hope that he would hold the upcoming general elections in a transparent manner.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2018