No contact yet between KP govt, opposition for caretaker set-up.

PESHAWAR -- Deadlock between the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the former ruling party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the opposition alliance in the erstwhile provincial assembly persists over consultation for caretaker chief minister as both stakeholders have refused to talk to each other.

However, both sides are holding their own meetings to finalise names for the caretaker CM.

'Opposition leader Akram Khan Durrani has made it clear that he will not sit with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan for any consultation. On the other hand, the CM too is reluctant to do so,' a senior PTI member told Dawn on Thursday, requesting anonymity.

The opposition alliance met at the residence of Awami National Party's (ANP) senior leader Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour on Wednesday night.

No details of the discussion were shared.

Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, spokesman for the previous PTI government, said meetings were going on and the opposition might be consulted after PTI finalised the list of its candidates for CM.

Party-level deliberations on the issue under way

'Consultation within the party is going on and some names have been discussed, including some former judges and retired bureaucrats, but nothing is finalised as yet,' Mr Saif told Dawn.

He said PTI knew the opposition is also holding meetings to finalise their list, but alleged it wanted to spoil the situation.

'We won't sit with the opposition and ultimately the decision about the caretaker CM will be made by the Election Commission of Pakistan,' he said.

Another PTI leader, however, termed consultation between CM Khan and Durrani a...