Islamabad: Former Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed was on Monday nominated for the post of caretaker prime minister by Imran Khan amid the ongoing political crisis in the country. Former information minister and senior leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party Fawad Chaudhry said that Prime Minister Khan took the decision after the approval of the party’s core committee.
President Arif Alvi on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Khan and Leader of the Opposition Shahbaz Sharif, seeking suggestions for the appointment of a caretaker prime minister. “In response to the President’s letter, after consultation and approval of the PTI Core Committee, Prime Minister Imran Khan has nominated former Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed for the post of caretaker prime minister,” Chowdhury said.
In his letter, President Alvi told him that if he did not agree on the appointment within three days of the dissolution of Parliament, he would send the names of two candidates each to a committee to be constituted by the Speaker, comprising the outgoing National Assembly. or the Senate, or eight members of both, so that the ruling party and the opposition are equally represented.
The President’s Secretariat said in a statement that the Constitution empowers the President to appoint a caretaker Prime Minister in consultation with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly. Under Article 224-A(1) of the Constitution of Pakistan, a caretaker government is formed to conduct elections in the country. Khan will continue to hold the post of Prime Minister till the appointment of a caretaker prime minister.
Shahbaz Sharif has so far refused to participate in this process, calling it illegal. Justice Ahmed served as the Chief Justice from December 2019 till his retirement in February 2022. He was born in 1957. He was part of a five-judge bench that disqualified former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the Panama Papers case. He made headlines many times for his tough decisions and comments against governments and bureaucrats.
Justice Ahmed also ordered the authorities to rebuild a temple demolished by a mob in northwest Pakistan and directed them to recover money from the attackers for the repair work. He said the attackers’ actions had brought “international embarrassment” to Pakistan. He also participated in a grand ceremony at the renovated temple last year to celebrate Diwali and express solidarity with the members of the Hindu community.
