LAHORE - As the matter of appointment of a caretaker Punjab chief minister is most likely to be decided by the Election Commission of Pakistan owing to the anticipated disagreement between the government and the opposition, Punjab Chief Minister Ch Parvez Elahi Thursday declared that the PTI-PMLQ alliance will not accept a chief minister appointed by the Election Commission. “We are aware of the thinking and intentions of the Election Commission which is instituting false cases against Imran Khan on an almost daily basis”, he said while talking to the media here. Parvez Elahi also threatened that they will not let the caretaker chief minister to perform his duties if he is appointed by the chief election commissioner. “We will approach the Supreme Court [against the ECP’s decision]”, he added. The chief minister said that they had given three names of impartial personalities for the caretaker CM slot including that of Shehbaz Sharif’s own Cabinet Secretary Mr. Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera. “We also gave the name of Mr Khosa who remained Chief Secretary of Shehbaz Sharif and Commissioner as well”, he said. Answering a question regarding the anticipated merger of the PML-Q with the PTI, he said that party office bearers will consult party workers at the gross-roots level in this regard and then a decision will be made accordingly. He said his party would vigorously contest elections whenever they are held. He also clarified that he did not make any promise with anyone for not dissolving the assembly adding that he had already handed over in writing to Imran Khan about the dissolution of Punjab Assembly Also, a meeting of the parliamentary committee constituted by the Punjab Assembly Speaker Mohammad Sibtain Khan is scheduled to take place on Friday (Today) at 3:00pm in the Assembly building to decide the name of a caretaker chief minister. The PTI and the PML-Q have nominated Malik Aslam Iqbal, Mohammad Basharat Raja and Hashim Jawan Bakht as committee members whereas Malik Mohammad Ahmad Khan, Syed Hassan Murtaza and Malik Nadeem Kamran will be representing the Opposition in the committee. The chief minister’s panel includes names of Cabinet Secretary Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera and ex-Punjab Chief Secretary Naveed Akram Cheema. The names of Nasir Mahmood Khosa and Naseer Khan have been dropped from the chief minister’s list. Hamza Shehbaz’s panel remains unchanged and includes the names of Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi and Ahad Cheema. The PTI and the PML-Q has already rejected these names and there is little chance of consensus being evolved over one name at this level. If the committee fails to agree on one name, all the four names would be forwarded to the Election Commission that would pick one name as the care-taker CM. Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Imran Khan Thursday chaired a party meeting to finalise two names to be sent to the parliamentary committee. The PTI members of the parliamentary committee were in attendance besides party’s Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry. In the meeting, they held detailed consultation regarding the nomination of caretaker chief minister in Punjab. They also discussed names of Ahmed Nawaz Sukhera, former Punjab Chief Secretary Naveed Cheema and Naseer Khan for caretaker chief minister in detail. But after the final consultation, the PTI chairman finalised two names which were sent to committee later on. Talking to members of the PTI Parliamentary Committee, Imran Khan said that PTI had nominated personalities of best reputation, ability and impeccable credentials. He said that the constitutional requirement to establish caretaker governments should be fulfilled seriously so as the people could be given the right to make decisions through elections without any further delay. The PTI chairman reiterated his stance that any delay in the elections would not be tolerated come what may and added that only the caretaker setup consisted of well-reputed and able people could perform this important task in a befitting manner. He said that jeopardising the transparency of the elections would be tantamount to enmity with the country. The PTI Chairman said that the country could not afford any delay in the elections, adding that holding free, fair and transparent elections was the most serious matter and only the caretaker government with the best reputation and capacity could perform this responsibility in the best possible manner. “We have to make our own Opposition Leader and will turnout Raja Riaz. Raja Riaz should himself feel ashamed and should quit the post of Opposition Leader”, he observed.
Interim govt not feasible for country in current situation: Ahsan Iqbal