Pakistan Names Ex-judge As Caretaker PM

Islamabad, March 25, IRNA -- Pakistan’s electoral panel on Sunday named, Mir Hazar Khan Khoso, former judge of the countryˈs top court, as the caretaker Prime Minister, officials said. Chief Election Commissioner, Fakhruddin G Ibrahim announced that Khoso, a former judge of the Supreme Court and former Chief Justice of the High Court in Balochistan province, will lead the interim government. Justice Khoso, 84, was the nominee from the former ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). The main opposition Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) had objected at the name of Khoso that he is very close to the President Asif Ali Zardari and the PPP. The Election Commissioner told reporters in Islamabad that the parliamentary committee, comprised the PPP and PML-N, had proposed four names to the election panel to chose one of them. “We had detailed discussions on the names and decided with majority that Mir Hazar Khan Khoso will be the caretaker Prime Minister,” he said Section of the local media reported said that four of the five members of the election commission voted for Mr Khoso while members from Punjab province opposed his nomination. The caretaker Prime Minister will lead an interim government that will supervise the May 11 parliamentary election and transition to the new government. After swearing in, the caretaker Prime Minister will announce an interim cabinet to run affairs in the coming two months, officials said. The Election Commission named the caretaker Prime Minister in line with the constitutional provisions after the former ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the main opposition Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) party. Both parties had failed to reach a consensus on a name for the highest post in their six days talks on four names and the issue was later referred to the election panel. The PPP and PML-N had proposed two names each, but rejected each other’s nominations mostly on political grounds. Caretaker governments have already been set up in three out of four provinces and the interim government in Punjab province has not yet been announced over the PPP-PML-N differences. Justice Khoso belongs to Jaffarabad district in Balochistan province. He has served as judge of the Balochistan High Court, and was later promoted to assume the position of Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court for a tenure spanning from 1990 to 1991. Political watchers say that as a judicial officer, Khoso never indulged in any controversy and kept himself away from politics and while being a judge in the superior courts. They say Khoso enjoys respect and trust in Balochistan from all walks of life and political parties. Khoso has also served as Judge of the Federal Shariat Court in Islamabad. Khoso was promoted as Chief Justice of the Federal Shariat Court in 1994. Khoso currently serves as the Balochistan Chairman of the Zakat Council./end