Hafeez Shiekh likely to become caretaker prime minister of Pakistan next week

August 7, 2023

By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - Former Finance Minister Hafeez Shaikh is likely to pick the caretaker prime minister as one of the strong candidates for the position.

The outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to announce the name of the caretaker premier on Wednesday as the term of the National Assembly is going to be completed on August 12, however, the 13 parties ruling alliance want to dissolve the assembly on August 9, to pave way for delay elections to be held in 90 days instead of 60 days if the term completed.

The ruling alliance also approved the digital census on Saturday, apparently an attempt to delay the upcoming elections for further few months and allow the election authority to hold elections next year instead of before November this year.

On Sunday, Interior Minister Rana Sanullah also said that the ruling alliance has no problem if the polls are delayed to next year February or March.

Rana also confirmed that Hafeez Shaikh's name is included in the potential candidates for the caretaker premiership.

Shaikh is reportedly also a favorable candidate for the country’s powerful establishment as he also served as finance minister during the former prime minister Imran Khan government.

Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, a Pakistani economist and politician served as federal minister for finance from December 2020 to March 2021 during Khan terms, earlier he served as Khan's advisor for finance from April 2019 to December 2020.

He also served as finance minister from 2010 to 2013 during former president Asif Zardari's party PPP tenure.