After the government and opposition failed to agree on a caretaker chief minister, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will choose one of four candidates today (Sunday) for Punjab’s interim chief minister during the polls.
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja has called a meeting to decide Punjab’s interim CM. Clause 3 of Article 224-A sent the issue to the electoral body.
“Provided that in case of incapacity of the committee to settle the subject in the period above, the names of the nominees shall be referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan for final decision within two days,” the clause states.
Sunday is the last day the electoral body can choose a temporary chief minister. But, according to ECP sources, today’s meeting had all eyes on the commission.
Outgoing Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi suggested Sardar Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera and Naveed Akram Cheema, while opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz suggested Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi and Ahad Khan Cheema.
After a Punjab Assembly speaker-appointed parliamentary committee failed to agree on a temporary chief minister, the ECP took over.
With equal representation from the treasury and opposition, the six-member committee had one day to consider the outgoing chief minister and opposition leader’s candidates.
Due to a delay in the notification for the panel’s formation, the parliamentary committee had just one day to choose one of the four nominees, notwithstanding Article 224-A of the Constitution’s three-day limit.
Elahi, a PTI ally, has threatened to sue the ECP if the four-nominee panel includes a contentious candidate.
 will choose one of four candidates today (Sunday) to lead the interim Punjab administration during the polls.){kind=link}