Raja Riaz, the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly (NA), feels hopeful that he and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will agree on a nominee for the interim prime minister.
The NA’s term is slated to expire on August 12, and discussions are underway among government members on the outlines of a temporary setup.
If the administration is dissolved before the NA’s term ends on August 12, elections will be held within 90 days. If the assembly’s term ends, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) must hold elections within the next 60 days.
However, the legally mandated negotiations between the prime minister and the opposition leader on caretaker government nominees have yet to commence.
Earlier this month, Riaz stated that he and Prime Minister Shehbaz would meet around August 1.
“I have a very good working relationship with Shehbaz Sharif sahib and we will come up with a name,” Riaz stated.
Riaz stated that it was not a case of “stubbornness” in which he was adamant that his suggestion be accepted. He stated that if the premier proposed an “appropriate name” for the coveted position, he would agree.
When asked when general elections will be held, Riaz responded, “Either in three months or after two years.”
Riaz, who is an elected member of Parliament on a PTI ticket despite having severed connections with the party and publicly admitting that he will run in the next elections on a PML-N ticket, said that the PTI had accomplished what India could not.
