Interim setups: PTI on the front foot.

By introducing caretaker setups in the country, the active partic ipation of citizens in the elector-- al process was enhanced to ensure fair, free and impartial general elections, democratic institutions' development and the state functionaries' accountability. After the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, a constitutional procedure is underway for the nomination of caretaker chief ministers in both provinces. After the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and PML-Q had finalized three consensus candidates as their nominees for the appointment of a caretaker chief minister in Punjab. As PTI and PML-N could not reach a consensus on one of the nominees for the interim chief minister within the stipulated time, Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman last Wednesday directed Speaker Sibtain Khan to constitute a parliamentary committee for the purpose.

The PML-N had nominated an Adviser to the Prime Minister on Establishment Ahad Cheema and senior journalist Mohsin Naqvi while PTI suggested Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera, Naseer Ahmed Khan and Nasir Mahmood Khosa for the slot of caretaker chief minister. CM Pervaiz Elahi and Hamza had 10 pm till Tuesday to agree on a name for the caretaker chief minister but they failed to agree within the stipulated time frame in terms of Article 224(1A) of the Constitution.

Now the speaker Under Article 224A(2) shall constitute a parliamentary committee for the selection of a person for the top provincial slot. Now a parliamentary committee, being a bi-partisan panel, will be formed. It will consist of three members each from the treasury and opposition benches. The penal will send two nominees and they will come to a conclusion and announce the name of the caretaker chief minister within three days. Article 224A prescribes that if the two leaders fail to reach a consensus, a parliamentary committee consisting of an equal number of the members from the ruling and opposition parties has to pick a caretaker chief minister within three days out of a list of two nominees each forwarded by the outgoing chief minister and the opposition leader.

Even if the parliamentary body fails to reach a consensus, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is authorized to finally pick one of the four persons as the caretaker chief minister. Under Article 112 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 (Constitution), the provincial assembly was dissolved...