Pakistan president seeks suggestions on appointment of caretaker PM

Islamabad, Apr 04: President of Pakistan, Arif Khan has sent letters to Imran Khan and the leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif to seek suggestions for the appointment of a caretaker Prime Minister.

In the meantime, Imran Khan continues to occupy the chair of PM even after he was removed from the post vide a notification issued by the Pakistan Cabinet Secretariat on Sunday night. He will remain in office until a caretaker PM is appointed.

In a highly controversial move, Pakistan's embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan stunned a determined Opposition on Sunday by recommending snap elections, minutes after a no-confidence motion against him was dismissed by the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.

Prime Minister Khan, who had effectively lost majority in the 342-member National Assembly, made a brief address to the nation after a stormy parliament session was adjourned by Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri.

Khan congratulated the nation for the no-trust motion being dismissed, saying the Deputy Speaker had "rejected the attempt of changing the regime [and] the foreign conspiracy".

"The nation should prepare for the new elections," he said, adding that the no-confidence was actually a "foreign agenda".

Khan said he has advised President Alvi to dissolve assemblies.

"Prepare for elections. No corrupt forces will decide what the future of the country will be. When the assemblies will be dissolved, the procedure for the next elections and the caretaker government will begin," the 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician said.

(With PTI inputs)