ISLAMABAD, July 25, 2023: Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Raja Riaz said on Tuesday the appointment of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar as caretaker prime minister could rule out the possibility of elections in the country at least for two years.
Expressing his views, Riaz said: “Instead of holding immediate elections, there is an urgent need to get the country out of crisis.”
“As the Leader of the Opposition, I will recommend three names to the government for the appointment of the interim prime minister. I am consulting with the friends in the opposition to finalise the names for the caretaker prime minister,” Riaz said.
“I will make a final decision regarding the name of the caretaker prime minister in the first week of August with the prime minister. The names will be finalised in the first phase for the caretaker setup,” he maintained.
On Monday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reacted to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s nomination as the caretaker prime minister.
Speaking to media, Asif said: “Ishaq Dar is my brother and a friend. Dar and I share a relationship that I very much own. During Pervez Musharraf’s era, we both faced jail. The possibility of Dar becoming prime minister is something I also hope for”.
“However, my knowledge is that there are objections to Ishaq Dar’s appointment as the interim prime minister. The people will raise objections if the caretaker prime minister will be from the ruling party,” he said.