Justice Mulk, who served as the chief justice for 13 months between 2014-2015 was picked after much political wrangling between PML-N and the opposition.
New Delhi: Pakistan’s former chief justice Nasirul Mulk was Monday named the caretaker prime minister for two months, ending the political wrangling between ruling PML-N and the opposition ahead of the general elections in the country on 25 July.
The announcement was made by Pakistan’s leader of the opposition Khursheed Shah at a press conference in Islamabad following his meeting with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. Mulk’s name was chosen from a list of six.
It took six meetings for the decision to be taken as the first five ended in a deadlock between the PML-N and the opposition over the name of the caretaker prime minister.
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz’s will finish their tenure on 31 May. The job of the caretaker prime minister is to keep the country running between the dissolution of parliament and the new government being sworn in.
Justice Mulk served as the 22nd chief justice of Pakistan for 13 months from 2014 to 2015. During his short tenure, Justice Mulk was part of many significant judgments. He headed the bench that rejected the plea to disqualify Pakistan’s ousted PM Nawaz Sharif for lying on the floor of the National Assembly. He also served as the head of the Judicial Commission that probed PTI’s rigging allegations in the 2013 election.
Shah expressed hope that Justice Mulk, 67, will successfully conduct free, fair and impartial elections in Pakistan. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan congratulated Mulk on Twitter. “Want to congratulate Justice (r) Nasir ul Mulk on being appointed caretaker PM,” he tweeted.
PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also took to Twitter, showing appreciation for the appointment of Justice Mulk as caretaker premier. “Moving forward for the sake of strengthening democracy — congratulations to Justice (r) Nasirul Mulk on being appointed caretaker prime minister,”he wrote.
With inputs from PTI.