After reports of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) finalising on Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s name to be proposed for the post of interim Prime Minister, the ruling party of Pakistan seems to backtrack on its decision apparently due to strong rejections by its coalition partner – Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) – and the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led by former PM Imran Khan.

According to Dawn, PML-N leader Khawaja Asif claimed that reports of Dar’s candidature were untrue and leaked by a ‘credible’ journalist. He also denied reports that the Pakistan government is considering Dar’s name as caretaker PM, saying that no work has been started on the matter.

It would not be a good idea for a caretaker PM to come from a ruling party, Asif asserted.

This comes after PML_N’s ally PPP had reportedly expressed strong opposition over Dar’s candidature. The PPP fuelled uncertainty over the matter by opposing the appointment of Dar, saying that he was “a man from the Sharif family” and was not a suitable fit for the post of caretaker PM, which required a neutral person.

PPP leader and Pakistan’s Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman also asserted that reports of any name being proposed for interim PM are ‘fake news’.

“There have been no names officially received or endorsed by the party, leaving no room for confusion or controversy. The PPP has established a committee to thoroughly deliberate on the matter and engage in discussions with all stakeholders,” said Rehman.

The PPP Minister also reiterated that a neutral position should be appointed as caretaker PM to ensure a fair and impartial election process.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s PTI said that the proposal for Dar’s nomination as caretaker PM was a ‘big joke’ that cannot be accepted. “How can we accept this proposal?” he asked while speaking to reporters outside the Supreme Court.

“Dar was mainly responsible for the country’s current economic situation, who created all possible obstacles so that the IMF programme could not succeed in order to impose financial emergency at the end to prolong their rule,” claimed PTI leader  Muzamil Aslam, accusing the Finance Minister of ruining a ‘well-performing’ economy.

The 73-year-old Dar is currently serving as the Minister of Finance and Revenue of Pakistan under the PML-N-PPP coalition government, formed in 2022 after Imran Khan’s ouster.

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