ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan is expected to hold a meeting with Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi to discuss the interim caretaker setup after the dissolution of provincial assembly, said a senior leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Sunday.
The Punjab Assembly ceased to exist on Saturday evening after Elahi sent a summary to Governor Baligh-ur-Rehman in which he sought its dissolution. The chief minister took the decision on the instruction Khan, a senior coalition partner, who has been advocating for early elections since the downfall of his administration in a parliamentary no-confidence vote held last April.
“Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi will meet Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan today and there will be a final consultation on the names of the Chief Minister of the caretaker government,” announced PTI’s senior vice president Chaudhry Fawad Hussain.
He said Article 224-A of Pakistan’s constitution required the chief minister and leader of the opposition of the outgoing provincial assembly to agree on the name of the new chief executive of the federating unit. In case of a disagreement, however, two names would be sent to a parliamentary committee for decision in three days.
“If the parliamentary committee does not agree on a name, then the names will be sent to the election commission which will nominate one of these names as the chief minister,” he continued. “The commission cannot give a new name on its own.”
Punjab Assembly’s dissolution is expected to lead to fresh election in the province.
The country’s information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Saturday the founding leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, had instructed leader and workers of his political faction to prepare for elections.
She said Sharif announced the decision during a consultative session with his other party colleagues in London.
Sharif also instructed to “establish a parliamentary board” while asking PML-N leaders to “move ahead with passion, confidence, preparation and strength,” she added.