ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) today (Sunday) sent four candidates to lead the interim Punjab government during the elections after failing to reach a consensus between the government and the opposition for the caretaker chief. I will choose one person. Minister
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja has called a meeting to consider the names of the interim Chief Minister of Punjab. The matter was referred to the Election Commission under Clause 3 of Article 224-A of the Constitution.
The clause states that “provided that the committee does not decide the matter within the said period, the names of the nominated candidates shall be forwarded to the Election Commission of Pakistan for a final decision within two days.” “
Today (Sunday) is the last day to name the electoral body for caretaker chief minister. According to ECP sources, the meeting will be held today and now all eyes are on the commission.
Outgoing Chief Minister Punjab Pervaiz Elahi had suggested the names of Sardar Ahmed Nawaz Sukhira and Naveed Akram Cheema, while Opposition Leader Hamza Shehbaz had forwarded the names of Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi and Ahad Khan Cheema.
The matter reached the ECP when the parliamentary committee constituted by the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly failed to reach a consensus on a candidate for the caretaker chief minister’s post.
The six-member committee, with equal representation from the Treasury and the opposition, had just one day to consider the nominations of the outgoing chief minister and the opposition leader.
Although the parliamentary committee has three days to choose one of the four as per Article 224-A of the Constitution, the committee was left with only one day due to the delay in the notification of the constitution of the panel. Four names
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ally Elahi has already announced that he will approach the court if the ECP selects any controversial person from among the four nominated panels.
Caretaker Chief Minister of KP
On the other hand, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ghulam Ali administered oath to Muhammad Azam Khan as caretaker chief minister of the province.
The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Governor’s House on Saturday, which was attended by relevant officials.
Unlike Punjab, the appointment was made a day after former Chief Minister Mehmood Khan and opposition leader Akram Khan Durrani decided to nominate Azam Khan after a meeting in Peshawar.
Caretaker Chief Minister Mohammad Azam Khan is a well-known bureaucrat. He has served as Chief Secretary KP (1990-93), Finance Minister KP (2007-2008). He has also served in other important positions.
Government and opposition face to face
Differences between the government and the opposition over the appointment of Punjab’s caretaker chief minister continued, as a parliamentary committee formed on Thursday – comprising three members from both sides – failed to reach a consensus on the issue in a meeting on Friday. .
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leader Malik Ahmad Khan, speaking to reporters after the meeting, said: “It was an opportunity to settle things politically, but that didn’t happen here.”
“There can be no agreement when there are too many polarized positions.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Hasan Murtaza also lamented the deadlock, saying, “When the house was small, the people were big. Now the house is big and the people are small.”
“Unfortunately we couldn’t agree [on a name], we’re not leaving good memories,” he added.
Brief profiles of all nominees:
Mohsin Raza Naqvi
Born in Lahore, Mohsin Raza Naqvi is a journalist by profession. He received his higher education in America and was associated with American TV channel CNN during his stay in Miami. After returning to Pakistan, he served as the regional head of CNN.
According to one report, Benazir Bhutto, whom Mohsin interviewed, was the last person he contacted before his assassination.
Mohsin founded the local Media City News Network in 2009 at the age of 30 and now owns six news channels and one newspaper. He is also widely known in political circles and has strong connections with leading political figures.
Ahad Raza Cheema
Known as the best administrator during Shahbaz Sharif’s prime ministership, Cheema is also called “Metro Man” among his close friends and political circles.
Cheema was a Grade 20 PAS (Pakistan Administrative Service) officer and served as the Chief Executive Officer of Punjab Government-owned QATPC.
In 2005, the then Chief Minister Pervez Elahi selected him to oversee his marquee project “Pad Lakha Punjab”.
Punjab civil servants attribute the project’s success to Ahad’s management skills and hard work. Cheema was in NAB custody during Imran Khan’s tenure, but was later acquitted.
Ahmad Nawaz Sukhira
PTI’s first candidate for Caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab is current Secretary Cabinet Division Ahmed Nawaz Sukhira, who is scheduled to retire on January 31.
A graduate of Harvard, Sukhira joined the Civil Services of Pakistan in 1985 and served as Secretary of Commerce, Information, Privatization, Textiles, and his most recent post as Federal Secretary.
He also held the additional charge of PTV while serving as Information Secretary.
Naveed Akram Cheema
PTI’s other nominee is Naveed Akram Cheema, who has also served as the Punjab Chief Secretary and twice as the manager of the Pakistan Cricket Team.
Naveed first took over as manager after the infamous spot-fixing case during the 2010 tour of England and the second time after retiring from the civil services on 31 December 2014, just before the 2015 ODI World Cup.
