Backtracking on names of caretakers: PTI makes mockery of constitutional process

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has made a mockery of the constitutional process of choosing caretaker chief ministers in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), showing political immaturity.In just three days, the PTI backed out on the names of the consensus interim chief ministers in Punjab and KP it had happily agreed. Rather, the final choice for Punjab, Nasir Mahmood Khosa, was its nominee, who was accepted by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif without much hassle.Out of the blue, the PTI announced two days after the accord in Punjab on Wednesday that it has withdrawn Khosa’s name because a controversy has been built about it. The reason - adverse public reaction - cited by the PTI behind its decision has in fact been nonexistent in the mainstream media.The retraction of Khosa’s name also hinted at a widely touted conspiracy to delay the July 25 general elections and the development was also linked with a resolution tabled in the Balochistan Assembly by provincial home minister Sarfraz Bugti.The PTI’s latest moves reflect the poor decision-making in the party where one thing conclusively determined at one time is quickly reversed without any convincing arguments. It shows that the needed consultations are not held at the appropriate levels for critical decisions like proposing nominees for the positions of the caretaker chief ministers.Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rashid, who consulted his PTI before proposing Khosa’s name, had insisted during talks with Shahbaz Sharif to accept his recommendation. However, without feeling any regret and remorse over going back on the solemn accord, he also made it public that Khosa’s name has been taken back. Khosa will naturally be very upset and will feel insulted.It is not necessary or likely that Shahbaz Sharif will consent to the new PTI nominee as the latter expects because he will argue that he had earlier readily accepted its recommendation but it reneged on it. Therefore, deadlock may prevail as has happened in KP.Thursday is the last day of the Punjab Assembly after which the outgoing chief minister and opposition leader will have three days to hammer out a consensus on the interim chief minister.Outgoing chief minister Pervaiz Khattak and Opposition Leader in the KP Assembly Maulana Lutfur Rehman had also reached consensus on the name of Manzoor Afridi as the interim chief minister but PTI Chairman Imran Khan asked his party to drop him and open consultations with the opposition leader for accord on a new name.However, Thursday is the last day available to the outgoing chief ministers of Sindh and leaders of opposition in these provincial assemblies to reach consensus on the caretaker chief ministers or the next stage to make these appointments will come into action.The following phase is the forwarding of the two names each by the outgoing chief minister and opposition leader to a parliamentary committee to pick any one of them through majority or by consensus.The assemblies of Sindh and KP stood dissolved on Monday (May 28) on the expiry of their five-year term. Article 224A of the Constitution says that in case the chief minister and leader of opposition in the outgoing assembly do not agree on any person to be appointed as the caretaker chief minister, within three days of its dissolution, they will forward two nominees each to a committee to be immediately constituted by the speaker, comprising six members of the outgoing assembly having equal representation from the treasury and the opposition, to be nominated by the chief minister and opposition leader respectively.The committee constituted is required to finalise the name of the caretaker chief minister within three days of the referral of the matter to it. In case of its inability to do so, the names will be referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for final decision within two days.If all these stages are to be followed, the appointment of the interim chief minister has to take place within eight days meaning till June 5 – maximum three days needed by the outgoing chief minister and opposition leader; three days by the parliamentary committee and lastly two days by the ECP. The period started from May 28 when the Sindh and KP assemblies were dissolved.However, this timeline will stand automatically reduced if the decision about the nomination is taken before it lands in the ECP. While the stalemates persist in Sindh and KP as neither side is willing to budge from its stand, a similar scenario prevails in Balochistan.

from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2L5K5Mz