Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Sunday appointed Syed Mohsin Naqvi as caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab to lead the interim government during the elections after the government and opposition failed to develop a consensus.
A crucial meeting of the ECP was held under the chair of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja. The meeting deliberated over the names of Punjab’s interim Chief Minister. The matter was sent to the election commission under Clause 3 of Article 224-A of Pakistan’s Constitution.
“Provided that in case that the committee failed to decide the matter in the stipulated period, the names of all the nominees shall be referred to ECP for final decision within two days,” says the clause.
Today was the last day for ECP to pick a name for the caretaker Punjab CM.
Mohsin Naqvi was nominated by Hamza Shehbaz
The outgoing chief minister of Punjab, Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, had proposed the names of Naveed Akram Cheema and Sardar Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera, while opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz Sharif had forwarded the names of Ahad Khan Cheema and Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi.
The matter landed at the electoral body after a parliamentary body, constituted by Speaker Punjab Assembly, failed to evolve a consensus on a nominee for the caretaker chief minister of Punjab.
The six-member parliamentary committee, having equal representation from the opposition and treasury benches, had only a day to deliberate upon the names suggested by the opposition and treasury.
Parvez Elahi, an ally of PTI, has already announced to approach a court if ECP selects any controversial person from the four-nominee panel.
