By Raza Ruman
As Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced dissolution of National Assembly a couple of days before completing it’s tenure on Aug 13, the major issue has cropped up between the PMLN led coalition government and the military establishment is the selection of the caretaker prime minister.
Both PMLN and PPP are keen to have an interim setup that could not be prolonged — if need be. The PPP and PML-N seem to be leaning towards a transitionary setup consisting mostly of politicians rather than the technocrats who are usually picked for such jobs.
“A caretaker setup consisting of technocrats can mean that elections may be delayed for quite some time, something neither the PML-N or PPP are in favour of,” a source told Dawn.
According to him, huddles in both Dubai and Lahore yielded an agreement that there should be no “significant delay” in polls. This stems from the apprehension that if a technocrat setup is installed in the Centre, the powers-that-be may try to elongate its tenure under a one-point agenda — fix economy before heading into a general election.
Earlier this month, Mr Zardari had met with PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in the United Arab Emirates to discuss — among other things — a potential power-sharing formula if the two parties came to power in the next elections. Reportedly, the two head honchos had agreed to bring in a caretaker prime minister of their choosing, not one picked by anyone on the outside, so to speak.
This will be the main challenge for the allied parties whether they manage to install the caretaker premier of their choice or the establishment prevails. PAK DESTINY
