The Interim CM’s Rigmarole

The matter is being referred to the ECP after a six-member parliamentary committee constituted failed to reach a consensus

Lahore: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is to nominate the interim Punjab Chief Minister amidst threat from outgoing Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvaiz Elahi that he would move the Supreme Court if the ‘selection is made by ECP itself.

As per the procedure, a final name is to be selected from the list of four recommended by the opposition and the treasury.

Insiders claim that the main contestants for the slot of the interim CM’s post are in fact just two including Federal Secretary Cabinet Ahmed Nawaz Sukhera and news channel owner Mohsin Naqvi.

Though the professional credentials of Sukhera are far stronger compared to Mohsin Naqvi, yet the opposition is not ready to budge and is sticking to its guns.

Meanwhile, the other two bureaucrats recommended by outgoing CM Elahi are Nasir Khosa and Naveed Akram Cheema, both of whom have already turned down their candidature for the interim CM’s post owing to different pretexts.

The matter is being referred to the ECP after a six-member parliamentary committee constituted by the Speaker for consultation failed to reach a consensus on the selection of the interim CM.

The parliamentary panel, formed under Article 224A of the Constitution, comprises six lawmakers having equal representation – both from the treasury and the opposition.

Former minister Raja Basharat, Mian Aslam Iqbal and Hashim Jawan Bakht represented the ruling alliance of the PTI-PML-Q while the opposition was represented by PM’s special assistant Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, PPP’s parliamentary leader Syed Hassan Murtaza and Malik Nadeem Kamran

The six-member parliamentary committee was mandated to deliberate on the nominations made both by Elahi and opposition leader in the outgoing assembly, Hamza Shehbaz for the caretaker CM and to develop a consensus on one of the nominees.

Under the law, it will have to take a decision within three days of the matter getting referred to it. In case of its failure to reach a consensus candidate, the issue will go to the ECP, which will have two days to settle it.

Nevertheless, the names referred by the opposition leader made the treasury quite jittery.

Outgoing CM had simply refused to entertain the interim CM selected by the ECP.

“We won’t allow the caretaker chief minister selected by the Election Commission to function,” he told the media, while inaugurating the Holy Quran portal here on Thursday.

“We know the intention of the Election Commission, which is instituting cases against [PTI chairman] Imran Khan on a daily basis, and we will move the Supreme Court against its decision,” he warned.

Elahi argued that the nominations he had made included pro-PML-N persons as one of them (Mr Sukhera) is Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet secretary, while Nasir Khosa had served as Punjab chief secretary when Shehbaz Sharif was the chief minister.

Insiders claim that Pervaiz Elahi had strong reservations on the name of Mohsin Naqvi who he believes is responsible for putting a dent within the PML-Q and the Chaudhary family.  In this regard, Chaudhry Moonis Elahi, the son of outgoing CM Elahi had tweeted against Mohsin Naqvi as well.

Meanwhile, in a separate party meeting, PTI chief Imran Khan said a caretaker setup consisting of “well-reputed and able people” can perform the important task of holding elections in a transparent manner. The PTI chairman said his party had nominated personalities known for “impeccable credentials”.

He said holding free, fair and credible elections was the most serious matter and only a caretaker government having the “best reputation and capacity” could perform this responsibility. “Jeopardising transparency of the elections will be tantamount to enmity with the country,” he claimed.

Meanwhile, Speaker Punjab Assembly Sabtain Khan, through a letter written to Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman, has accused him of using delaying tactics in giving date of polls after the dissolution of provincial assembly.

In the letter written on Friday, the Speaker alleged that it is the constitutional duty of the governor to give date of the next elections to the ECP immediately after the dissolution of the assembly, which he has not given despite the lapse of seven days and also when the ECP, too, has written to him seeking the date of election for the provincial Assembly within 90 days.