Days before the National Assembly disbands, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah revealed on Sunday that former Finance Minister Hafeez Shaikh, a key figure in the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, is a top contender for the position of interim prime minister.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced earlier that the National Assembly would dissolve on August 9, three days before its term is slated to end.
As per the constitution, elections must follow within 60 days if the assembly completes its tenure, ending on August 12. However, in premature dissolution, the constitution mandates holding elections within 90 days.
In a discussion on the local news channel ‘Geo News’ program “Naya Pakistan,” Interior Minister said that the list of candidates also includes the name of a retired Supreme Court judge. The interim prime minister is set to be finalized by August 8 or 9.
Candidates for the Interim Premier Position
While the names of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi have been excluded from the list, insiders have reported that the candidacy of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and former Punjab governor Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood is being considered.
The shortlist doesn’t stop there; other potential names in the running for the interim premier include Mehmood, Abbasi, and Shaikh. Aslam Bhutani and Fawad Hasan Fawad also reportedly remain in contention for the role of caretaker PM.
Hafeez Shaikh’s professional journey has been quite noteworthy. Appointed as an adviser on finance by then-Prime Minister Imran Khan in April 2019, Shaikh stepped into the role of finance minister in December 2019 amidst a climate of escalating financial pressure, with the rupee having plummeted 30% since 2018, triggering soaring inflation.
With a robust political and economic career spanning over three decades, Shaikh served as finance minister from 2010 to 2013 and later became an active member of the PPP in 2012. After his government tenure, he joined an international investment firm in New York, creating a significant $1.38 billion fund for investments in Asia. In a surprising move, then-PM Khan replaced him as finance minister with Hammad Azhar in March 2021.
