<p>The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party is considering proposing the name of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for taking up the position of caretaker prime minister, a media report said on Sunday.</p>.<p>Dar's name came into focus as the Shehbaz Sharif-led government mulled changes in the Elections Act 2017 to empower the upcoming caretaker set-up to take decisions beyond its constitutional mandate, with a view to ensure continuity of the recently rolled out economic plan and expedite the process aimed at receiving foreign investment in state-owned entities, reported The Express Tribune.</p>.<p>The Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) was considering proposing the name of Dar for the caretaker prime minister as part of a broader plan to ensure the implementation of the economic policies, sources were quoted as saying by the Express Tribune newspaper.</p>.<p>However, the final decision about the candidature of Dar will be taken next week in consultation with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) –- one of the two main coalition partners.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/why-is-pakistan-lagging-behind-in-space-exploration-1239508.html">Why is Pakistan lagging behind in space exploration?</a></strong></p>.<p>The PML-N sources said that the government was considering amending Section 230 of the Elections Act 2017, empowering the caretaker set-up to take economic decisions and the amendments might be introduced in the National Assembly next week to allow the caretaker government to take decisions necessary to revive the economy.</p>.<p>Pakistan’s economy is passing through a phase where the matters cannot be left for three months on just day-to-day decision-making, a senior cabinet member said on the condition of anonymity.</p>.<p>He added in order to ensure that the IMF programme remains on track and the country completes the second review in November, there was a need that the caretaker government should have more powers to take decisions in economic matters.</p>.<p>According to Section 230, a caretaker (interim) government shall only perform its functions to attend to day-to-day matters which are necessary to run the affairs of the government.</p>.<p>It will assist the Election Commission of Pakistan in holding the general elections in accordance with law and restrict itself to activities that are of routine, non-controversial and urgent nature, in the public interest and can be reversed by a future elected government.</p>.<p>The present law also bars the caretaker government from taking major policy decisions, except on urgent matters.</p>.<p>It cannot enter into a major contract or undertaking if it is detrimental to the public interest, and it also cannot enter into major international negotiation with any foreign country or international agency; or sign or ratify any international binding instrument, except in an exceptional case.</p>.<p>The sources said that the proposal was to amend both the subsections of Section 230 that deal with the authority bestowed upon the interim set-up.</p>.<p>Neither Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar nor Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb responded to the requests for comments on the proposed amendments to the elections act.</p>.<p>In July 2018, the then-caretaker government wanted to enter into programme negotiations with the IMF, but the then-law minister opposed it on the grounds that the interim set-up did not have such powers.</p>.<p>The sources said that the implementation of all the measures would require the continuation of the current economic team.</p>.<p>They said that because of this reason, the PML-N top leadership wanted Finance Minister Dar to be appointed as the caretaker prime minister.</p>.<p>In that case, Tariq Bajwa, special assistant to the PM on Finance, may continue working in his present position.</p>.<p>However, the Pakistan Peoples Party’s endorsement was needed for this arrangement. There might also be objections to the political affiliation of Ishaq Dar.</p>.<p>If Dar is made the interim PM, he might not return in the next government as finance minister provided the current political dispensation makes a comeback.</p>.<p>The name of Hafeez Shaikh, former finance minister, has also been making the rounds for the position of caretaker prime minister, according to the report.</p>
<p>The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party is considering proposing the name of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for taking up the position of caretaker prime minister, a media report said on Sunday.</p>.<p>Dar's name came into focus as the Shehbaz Sharif-led government mulled changes in the Elections Act 2017 to empower the upcoming caretaker set-up to take decisions beyond its constitutional mandate, with a view to ensure continuity of the recently rolled out economic plan and expedite the process aimed at receiving foreign investment in state-owned entities, reported The Express Tribune.</p>.<p>The Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) was considering proposing the name of Dar for the caretaker prime minister as part of a broader plan to ensure the implementation of the economic policies, sources were quoted as saying by the Express Tribune newspaper.</p>.<p>However, the final decision about the candidature of Dar will be taken next week in consultation with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) –- one of the two main coalition partners.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/why-is-pakistan-lagging-behind-in-space-exploration-1239508.html">Why is Pakistan lagging behind in space exploration?</a></strong></p>.<p>The PML-N sources said that the government was considering amending Section 230 of the Elections Act 2017, empowering the caretaker set-up to take economic decisions and the amendments might be introduced in the National Assembly next week to allow the caretaker government to take decisions necessary to revive the economy.</p>.<p>Pakistan’s economy is passing through a phase where the matters cannot be left for three months on just day-to-day decision-making, a senior cabinet member said on the condition of anonymity.</p>.<p>He added in order to ensure that the IMF programme remains on track and the country completes the second review in November, there was a need that the caretaker government should have more powers to take decisions in economic matters.</p>.<p>According to Section 230, a caretaker (interim) government shall only perform its functions to attend to day-to-day matters which are necessary to run the affairs of the government.</p>.<p>It will assist the Election Commission of Pakistan in holding the general elections in accordance with law and restrict itself to activities that are of routine, non-controversial and urgent nature, in the public interest and can be reversed by a future elected government.</p>.<p>The present law also bars the caretaker government from taking major policy decisions, except on urgent matters.</p>.<p>It cannot enter into a major contract or undertaking if it is detrimental to the public interest, and it also cannot enter into major international negotiation with any foreign country or international agency; or sign or ratify any international binding instrument, except in an exceptional case.</p>.<p>The sources said that the proposal was to amend both the subsections of Section 230 that deal with the authority bestowed upon the interim set-up.</p>.<p>Neither Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar nor Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb responded to the requests for comments on the proposed amendments to the elections act.</p>.<p>In July 2018, the then-caretaker government wanted to enter into programme negotiations with the IMF, but the then-law minister opposed it on the grounds that the interim set-up did not have such powers.</p>.<p>The sources said that the implementation of all the measures would require the continuation of the current economic team.</p>.<p>They said that because of this reason, the PML-N top leadership wanted Finance Minister Dar to be appointed as the caretaker prime minister.</p>.<p>In that case, Tariq Bajwa, special assistant to the PM on Finance, may continue working in his present position.</p>.<p>However, the Pakistan Peoples Party’s endorsement was needed for this arrangement. There might also be objections to the political affiliation of Ishaq Dar.</p>.<p>If Dar is made the interim PM, he might not return in the next government as finance minister provided the current political dispensation makes a comeback.</p>.<p>The name of Hafeez Shaikh, former finance minister, has also been making the rounds for the position of caretaker prime minister, according to the report.</p>