PML-N names Ahad, Naqvi as Punjab caretaker CM

LAHORE (Agencies): Punjab opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz on Tuesday nominated Mohsin Naqvi and Ahad Cheema for the caretaker chief minister’s position.

The PTI and the PML-Q had on Sunday finalised three consensus candidates as their nominees for the appointment of a caretaker chief minister in the province. The nominees included Cabinet Secretary Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera, former health minister Naseer Khan and former chief secretary Nasir Saeed Khosa.

In a letter sent to Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman, Hamza disapproved of the nominees proposed by outgoing Chief Minister Parvez Elahi. Hamza said that since he was abroad, he was appointing prime minister’s spokesperson Malik Ahmed Khan to coordinate the CM issue. The development came hours after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif consulted with the government’s coalition partners to discuss the PML-N’s nominees for Punjab caretaker chief minister.

In a tweet, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the premier had spoken to PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl emir Maulana Fazlur Rehman as well as Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat on the phone. Aurangzeb said PM Shehbaz also discussed the country’s overall political situation with the politicians.