Ex-Chief Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk named Pakistan's caretaker PM

Former Chief Justice of Pakistan Nasir-ul-Mulk was on Monday appointed the caretaker Prime Minister until the general elections on July 25.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and leader of the opposition Syed Khursheed Shah announced at a joint press conference that after six weeks of negotiations they had agreed on Mulk's name to head Pakistan's government during the election process.

"We have selected a candidate for caretaker Premier who will prove to play a democratic role in the upcoming general election," Abbasi said, adding "every name was discussed, and this name was decided upon. It's a name no one can point fingers at".

Shah, who heads the Pakistan Peoples Party, also said it was a "historic day" and Mulk had been chosen for his merits, Dawn online reported.

The former judge now has to form an interim government to rule the country for two months, starting on Friday, a day after the term of the current legislature, led by a government of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party, comes to an end.

During this period, the interim Prime Minister and his government have to carry out routine and urgent activities and avoid controversial decisions, important political steps or measures which could affect future governments, according to Pakistan's electoral law.

Born in 1950, Mulk was a judge in Pakistan's Supreme Court between 2005 and 2015 and served as Chief Justice for 11 months (6 July, 2014 to 16 August, 2015).

Mulk was one of the seven judges who signed a restraining order on November 3, 2007, when former President Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency and forcibly sent the judges home.

He is also remembered for the way he conducted a contempt case against former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

A total of 105 million voters are eligible to vote in the elections for the Parliament and four regional assemblies, set to take place on July 25, in which the ruling PML-N is facing a challenge from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by former cricketer Imran Khan.

This is only the second time since independence when a democratically elected Pakistani government is finishing its full term, after a PPP government completed its tenure in 2013.

--IANS

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