Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah says the names of ex-finance minister Hafeez Shaikh and a former Supreme Court judge have been shortlisted among others for the caretaker Prime Minister (PM).
He said name of the caretaker premier would turn up by Tuesday (tomorrow), adding Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi are not in the run.
Hafeez Shaikh had served as the finance minister the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led federal government. However, he was removed from this slot in March 2021.
The PTI pitched Sheikh against the former PM and senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party Yousaf Raza Gillani for Senate seat, however, Sheikh lost the contest.
During an interview with a local news channel, Rana Sana said a ‘neutral’ person would be the caretaker prime minister having no political association.
Talking about name of Dar for an interim premier, the interior minister said when his (Dar) name was taking round in the media, that time it was decided that an apolitical person would be selected for the caretaker PM slot.
He said the names of Dar, Abbasi and Raza Rabbani could be considered if any decision was made to allow any political person to be picked for the PM slot.
When asked whether Shaikh was ready to become the caretaker PM, the minister said: “Definitely, he must be.”
Pakistan People’s Party Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bokhari on Monday denied consensus on former finance minister Hafeez Shaikh’s name for the caretaker prime ministership, says in media reports.
“Rana Sanaullah should have not talked about Hafeez Sheikh’s name,” the PPP leader said reacting to the statement of the minister.
Earlier, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah claimed that former finance minister Hafeez Shaikh was among the candidates shortlisted for the slot of the caretaker prime minister.
Shaikh’s name was among those earlier reported to have been included in a list of five finalised by parties in the ruling coalition for the caretaker prime minister. The purported list was also said to have included former chief justice of Pakistan Tassaduq Hussain Jillani.
Bokhari observed it’s not the prerogative of Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah to comment on the names of the caretaker prime minister candidates.
