A few days before the dissolution of the National Assembly, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had revealed on Sunday that the name of former Finance Minister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government Hafeez Shaikh has also been shortlisted for caretaker prime minister.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif publicly announced that the National Assembly will be dissolved on August 9, just three days before the term of the lower house of parliament ends.
The term of the current assembly will end on August 12 and if it fulfills its allotted time, elections will be held within 60 days. However, the constitution says that if the assembly is dissolved before the completion of its term, elections must be held within 90 days.
The security czar said that the name of a retired Supreme Court judge is also among the shortlisted candidates for the coveted post.
He added that the name for the caretaker prime minister would be finalized by Tuesday or Wednesday (August 8 or 9).
In response to a question, the federal minister said that the names of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi are not included in the list.
Sources familiar with the matter have claimed that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and former Punjab Governor Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood’s name is also included in the shortlisted candidates.
Reliable sources also said that the names of Mehmood, Abbasi and Sheikh are being considered for the interim prime minister.
He further said that Aslam Bhutani and Fawad Hasan Fawad are also in the race for caretaker prime minister.
In April 2019, then Prime Minister Imran Khan accepted the resignation of former Finance Minister Asad Umar and appointed Sheikh as Finance Advisor. Sheikh was given the portfolio of Finance Minister in December 2019.
The move comes at a time when the rupee has lost 30 percent of its value since the start of 2018 amid mounting pressure, fueling inflation.
Sheikh, a Pakistani political economist of international repute with over 30 years of experience, was the Finance Minister from 2010 to 2013.
In 2012, he became an active member of the People’s Party and won the 2012 Senate elections.
After leaving the government, Sheikh was the general partner of an international investment company, headquartered in New York, which established a $1.38 billion fund to invest in Asia.
In March 2021, the then Prime Minister Khan removed him from the post of Finance Minister and Hamad Azhar was given the additional charge of the Finance Ministry.
