PML-N nominates Ahad Cheema, Mohsin Naqvi as Punjab caretaker CM.

Punjab opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz on Tuesday nominated Mohsin Naqvi and Ahad Cheema for the caretaker chief minister's position.

The PTI and the PML-Q had on Sunday finalised three consensus candidates as their nominees for the appointment of a caretaker chief minister in the province. The nominees included Cabinet Secretary Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera, former health minister Naseer Khan and former chief secretary Nasir Saeed Khosa.

In a letter sent to Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman, Hamza disapproved of the nominees proposed by outgoing Chief Minister Parvez Elahi.

Hamza said that since he was abroad, he was appointing prime minister's spokesperson Malik Ahmed Khan to coordinate the CM issue.

The development came hours after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif consulted with the government's coalition partners to discuss the PML-N's nominees for Punjab caretaker chief minister.

In a tweet, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the premier had spoken to PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl emir Maulana Fazlur Rehman as well as Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat on the phone.

Aurangzeb said PM Shehbaz also discussed the country's overall political situation with the politicians.

Fawad terms picks to be 'non-serious'

Speaking to the media in Lahore, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that the names proposed by the PML-N were 'non-serious'.

'It is a joke if they have proposed these names but they haven't been communicated to us,' he said, adding that the names proposed by the PTI and the PML-Q were 'serious'.

'We think that consensus should be developed on those names.'

Fawad noted how Malik Ahmed had stated earlier that flexibility could be demonstrated with regards to the names suggested by the PTI.

In an apparent reference to reports claiming that Khosa had refused to take up the mantle of caretaker CM, Fawad said: 'I request Nasir Khosa to change his mind. This will be his contribution to Pakistan. I can imagine that it is a difficult...