Finally there is a Caretaker Prime Minister in Pakistan

And finally the deadlock between the Government and the opposition for a caretaker Prime Minister in Pakistan ended. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and opposition leader in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah have announced in a press conference that former Chief Justice of Pakistan Nasir-ul-Mulk will be the country’s caretaker Prime Minister.

Who is Justice Nasirul Mulk?

Justice Nasirul Mulk known as an ‘English’ judge, has a 13-month long stint between July 2014 to August 2015, as head of the Pakistan’s superior judiciary. His term was credited having a policy of ‘judicial restraint.’

Justice Nasirul Mulk was born on August 17, 1950 in Mingora, Swat. He completed his degree of Bar-at-Law from Inner Temple London and was called to the Bar in 1977.

Before his appointment as judge of the Peshawar High Court on June 4, 1994, he served as advocate general of NWFP (now KP) for one year. He was elevated as chief justice of Peshawar High Court on May 31, 2004 and as a Supreme Court judge on April 4, 2005.

During his short tenure, CJ Nasirul Mulk has given some historical judgments.

During 2014 sit-ins by the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Islamabad’s Constitution Avenue. Justice Mulk was also heading the bench that had rejected the plea to disqualify PM Nawaz Sharif for lying on the floor of the National Assembly.

He was also head of Judicial Commission who probed PTI’s rigging allegations in the 2013 election. The Commission had given multiple recommendations to the Election Commission Pakistan for ensuring fair and transparent elections. Justice Mulk, along with two other fellow judges, accepted the task of probing rigging claims in the last general elections.

He is remembered for the way he conducted a contempt case against then prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

He convicted the then chief executive for 30 seconds while maintaining the dignity and honour of the court, and left the disqualification issue open to the Election Commission of Pakistan and the then speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Fehmida Mirza.

Justice Mulk was among seven judges who had passed restraining order against November 3, 2007 emergency and Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO). He was also among those judges who had refused to take oath under November 3 2007 PCO.

The former chief justice also gave an 88-page judgment in the 18th and 21st amendment case. In the judgement, he declared that parliament has the authority to bring any constitutional amendment and the top court cannot strike down the amendment on any ground.

Who are the other nominees?

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) proposed three prospective candidates as the caretaker prime minister: former chief justices Tassaduq Hussain Jillani and Nasirul Mulk and former governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Shamshad Akhtar.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) proposed names of former chief justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, former State Bank governor Dr Ishrat Hussain and former minister Abdul Razzaq Daud.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) gave names of former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf and former foreign secretary Jalil Abbasi Jilani.

Reactions by Political Parties

Positive comments have been made on the appointment of Justice Nasirul mulk by almost all political parties in Pakistan. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Imran Khan was one of the first to tweet out congratulations to the caretaker prime minister. Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz leader Hina Butt said she hoped the nominated judge would ensure free and fair elections. Secretary-General of the Pak Sarzameen Party Raza Haroon posted a congratulatory message for Mulk on Twitter.

Election Schedule

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) wrote to President Mamnoon Hussain on May 21 proposing to hold the elections for the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies between July 25 and 27, the report added.

According to the election commission, nearly 106 million voters will vote to elect the new government and while 59 million of them are males, only 47 million are females, the PTI report added.

Previous caretaker Prime Ministers of Pakistan

• Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi - August 1990 to September 1990.
• Mir Balakh Sher Mazari - April 1993 to May 1993.
• Moin Ahmad Qureshi - July 1993 to October 1993.
• Malik Meraj Khalid - November 1996 to February 1997.
• Muhammad Mian Somoro - November 2007 to March 2008.
• Justice (R) Mir Hazar Khan Khoso - March 2013 to June 2013.