Sadiq Sanjrani holds talks with Raja Riaz on political situation

ISLAMABAD: Chairman of the Senate, Sadiq Sanjrani, engaged in discussions with Opposition Leader Raja Riaz at the latter’s residence on Friday, concerning the prevailing political circumstances.

Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani and Opposition Leader Raja Riaz engaged in extensive consultations regarding the evolving political landscape with special focus on selecting a caretaker Prime Minister.

Diktats of the ‘divine diary’

Prior to this, Raja Riaz held a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister House to deliberate upon potential candidates for the role of caretaker Prime Minister. Among the six names presently under consideration, one of them is Sadiq Sanjrani, as suggested by Raja Riaz. A senior figure within the PML-N remarked that Sanjrani stands as “one of the most robust contenders.”

Prime Minister Sharif indicated that the final decision on the nominee would be reached within a span of three days.

Meanwhile, the subsequent round of consultations between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Raja Riaz is scheduled to carry on as they continue to work towards the selection of a suitable candidate for the interim prime ministerial position today. Both the Prime Minister and the outgoing opposition leader in the National Assembly have a three-day window to arrive at a consensus over the interim Prime Minister.

Should an agreement not be reached between the two parties, the matter will be referred to a parliamentary committee. In the event of the committee being unable to reach a decision, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will have a two-day period to make the selection from the list of candidates provided.

Other prospective contenders for the role of caretaker Prime Minister include Jalil Abbas Jilani, former finance ministers Dr. Hafeez Sheikh and Ishaq Dar, former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former principal secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad, former justice Tassaduq Jilani, Abdullah Hussain Haroon, Pir Pagaro, and Makhdoom Mehmood Ahmed.