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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah have reached a consensus on the name of the caretaker prime minister and are likely to announce the name today (Tuesday).

According to sources, the two leaders agreed that they would make the name public on May 15 (today) after a formal meeting.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had tasked the Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah to develop a consensus with other opposition parties and committed that unless the name was controversial the PML-N would abide by his choice of caretaker prime minister. According to Article 224 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the caretaker prime minister shall be appointed by the President in consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition in the outgoing National Assembly.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had floated three names including former commerce minister Abdul Razzaq Dawood, former chief justice of Pakistan Tassaduq Hussain Jilani and former governor State Bank Dr Ishrat Hussain. Khursheed Shah had criticized the PTI for releasing the names to the media instead of first conferring with other parties.

Abdul Razzaq Dawood served as commerce minister during Musharraf regime. He continued as the minister from 1999 to 2002. Tassaduq Hussain Jilani served as the 21st Chief Justice of Pakistan from December 12, 2013 to July 5, 2014. Dr Ishrat Hussain was the State Bank governor from 1999 to 2006. In 2013, Pakistan People’s Party had also proposed Ishrat Hussain as caretaker Prime Minister but the PML-N had rejected the proposal.

According to sources, former Justice Tassaduq Jilani, Dr Hafeez Pasha, and Dr Ishrat Hussain were initially short listed as candidates for the post of caretaker prime minister. However the three major national parties seem to agree on former Justice Jilani as the caretaker Prime Minister.

President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain will administer oath to caretaker Prime Minister and his cabinet members on June 1 (Friday) at the Presidency. The outgoing Prime Minster Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Saddiq may attend the oath taking ceremony.

According to the sources, the National Assembly will complete its mandated period midnight of May 31, 2018. Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq will continue to act as Speaker and hold the office till the new assembly members are elected and administer oath to the new members of the House after the elections.