Pakistan: Shehbaz Sharif rules out appointment of Ishaq Dar as interim PM

Islamabad [Pakistan], July 31 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ruled out the appointment of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar as the caretaker PM, Dawn reported.

He made these remarks on a Geo News programme on Sunday, amid widespread speculations of Dar being appointed as the interim PM.
Sharif stressed that a “neutral person” would be selected to lead the interim set-up to make upcoming general elections “transparent”.

“A neutral person should be appointed to this position so that no one could question the elections’ results,” Dawn quoted PM Sharif as saying.

He added that the caretaker set-up would be agreed upon, after consultation with allied parties, PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif, and the leader of opposition in the National Assembly Raja Riaz.

“I assure you there will be a very efficient interim government at the Centre,” PM Sharif added.

Notably, a bill to empower the caretaker set-up to take policy decisions was recently passed by the parliament, Dawn reported.

Shehbaz Sharif further said that he will dissolve the National Assembly a few days before the expiry of his government’s term on Aug 12, which would allow the ECP to conduct polls within 90 days.

PM Sharif said he had no intention to delay elections not even on the issue of the new census. “If notification regarding the new census is issued and even if the new census is notified, it would be up to the Election Commission of Pakistan to handle the issue,” Dawn quoted Sharif as saying.

He said his party will make adjustments with any other political party, including PPP and JUI-F, for polls, adding that the ruling PML-N will field its own candidates where there will be no need for seat adjustment.