In a farewell meeting with reporters on Friday in ISLAMABAD, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif played coy about the identity of the caretaker premier, keeping everyone on edge until he finally said that the name would be finalized on Saturday (today).
Despite repeated prodding to provide the name during the meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office, Shehbaz deftly sidestepped the inquiries.
Many people are curious and have theories about the probable nominee since insiders have dropped signals.
However, the prime minister did provide some information, saying that the identity might be made public this coming Saturday.
The PM has been meeting with coalition party leaders and the opposition leader, setting the framework for a final decision on the caretaker PM’s name.
If an agreement cannot be reached on a single candidate, he said, the matter might be referred to the parliamentary committee with a mandate to dispose of it within three days. He warned that if the committee couldn’t come to a resolution, the Election Commission of Pakistan would have to make the call within two days.
Even Nevertheless, rumors from within the PM Office added layers of mystery to the story as it unfolded among this carefully controlled concealment. Those in the know shocked the assembled reporters by revealing that the media’s wild speculations and the names being bandied about in the public realm were far off the mark.
The secret identity was about to stun the public, and those in the know knew it.
Those familiar with the situation hinted that the chosen figure came from within, presumably eliminating former military ruler Gen (ret.) Raheel Sharif from consideration soon after his name began circulating.
The sources continued by saying that the media’s wild assumptions were not at all solid.
The media had quickly anointed several persons as frontrunners for the interim PM’s position based on their contacts with the current prime minister in recent days, but sources close to the situation warned against making such a hasty assumption. The plot appeared to be more intricate than first glance.
It was unclear whether current Finance Minister Ishaq Dar or Chairman of the Senate Sadiq Sanjrani was the “person within” because no names were either confirmed nor ruled out.
As Pakistan’s political landscape prepares for a shift, it has been suggested that the temporary prime minister may be anyone other than those currently listed in the media, raising the prospect of a major surprise.
In other words, “a big surprise is on the cards,” they claimed.
In the meantime, PM Shehbaz reflected on the most trying times during his 16 months in power, citing the averted default and aid provided to flood victims as examples of what helped him get through them.
When asked about President Arif Alvi’s letter urging him and the opposition leader to settle on a name by August 12, PM Shehbaz stated the Constitution made the process crystal clear.
He has been involved in politics for 38 years, but the last 16 months have been the most challenging.
But, he continued, the administration was successful on multiple fronts thanks to teamwork and efforts from all parties involved.
Before he stepped down as prime minister, PM Shehbaz invited the beat reporters he’d met since assuming office in April 2022.
