LAHORE: A constitutional crisis like situation emerged in Punjab lateWednesday night as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government refusedto withdraw summary for appointment of Nasir Mehmood Khosa as interim chiefminister of the province despite rival Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)backtracking from its support to the former top bureaucrat.
The PML-N-led Punjab government and the PTI on Monday had agreed to appointKhosa as the provincial caretaker chief minister. However, in a U-turn, PTIon Wednesday withdrew the name of the former bureaucrat as interim chiefminister. “We had given name of Nasir Khosa for the post of interim chiefminister in haste as no proper consultation was made within the party onthe matter,” Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rasheedtold a press conference in the day, adding they would propose a new namefor the post within 24 hours to outgoing Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
However, in a statement issued late Wednesday night, Shehbaz Sharif saidthat the summary of appointment of caretaker chief minister of the provincehas already been forwarded to Punjab governor and once forwarded, thesummary cannot be returned. “Provincial law ministry has forwarded thesummary of caretaker CM to governor, who will sign it at midnight onThursday,” the statement said. “Once forwarded to the governor, the summarycannot be returned,” the outgoing chief minister asserted. He said thesummary would be signed as the five-year constitutional term of theoutgoing government ends at midnight on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters in the day, PTI’s Rasheed had said that a publicperception was created that Khosa had been a close colleague of PML-Nsupremo Nawaz Sharif, thereby his candidature had to be withdrawn. “Afterthe name was announced, there was a perception that Khosa was associatedwith PML-N. Nawaz Sharif also said that he [Khosa] had served as theprincipal secretary with him. There was discussion on this not only withinthe party but also amongst the general public,” he said. “Afterdiscussions, the party has withdrawn the name. The new name which will bedecided after consulting PTI chairman and party leaders will be sent to thechief minister in 24 hours,” he added.
PTI spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry said that Khosa’s name was withdrawn ascandidate for Punjab’s caretaker chief minister because public opinion wasnot in his favour. “We respect him as he is an honourable person, however acandidate should not be controversial and at this time Nasir Khosa’scandidature is not appropriate,” he said.
Interestingly, the name of Nasir Khosa, a former federal finance secretarywho also served as chief secretary of Punjab and Balochistan, had beenproposed by the PTI itself and finalised after much haggling by ShehbazSharif and Rasheed in a meeting at the PML-N’s Model Town office on Monday.