Who has served as longest caretaker PM?
Pakistan
Who has served as longest caretaker PM?
ISLAMABAD (Dunya Investigation Cell) – A system of caretaker governments has been introduced for transparent elections in the country in the 90’s. So far, seven caretaker prime ministers have served their tenure. Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi had the honour of being the country's first caretaker prime minister. He was appointed by the then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan for a period of three months and one day, from August 6, 1990 to November 6, 1990. He was associated with the National People's Party.
Following him, Balakh Sher Mazari became the second caretaker prime minister, serving from April 18, 1993 to May 26, 1993. He was affiliated with the Pakistan People's Party. According to the National Assembly's records, he held the shortest tenure as a caretaker prime minister in the country's history, serving for one month and nine days.
The third caretaker prime minister was Moin Qureshi, who had no political affiliation with any party. He began his professional career as a civil servant in Pakistan and later joined the IMF and then the World Bank after resigning. He served as caretaker prime minister from July 8, 1993 to October 19, 1993, for a total of three months and 12 days.
The fourth caretaker prime minister was Malik Meraj Khalid, who was associated with the Pakistan People's Party. Due to his firm beliefs in the left-wing ideology, he had disagreements with the party. After the end of Benazir Bhutto's government, he assumed charge on November 6, 1996, as caretaker prime minister and continued for three months and 12 days. His last day in office was February 17, 1997.
The fifth caretaker prime minister, Muhammadmian Soomro, was associated with the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q). He excelled in the banking sector and served in high positions. He held the office of caretaker prime minister for the longest period in the country's history, from November 16, 2007 to March 24, 2008, for a total of four months and nine days.
The sixth caretaker prime minister, Mir Hazar Khan Khoso, had no political affiliation. Before that, he had served as the chief justice of the Federal Shariat Court. As per Article 224 of the Constitution, no parliamentary committee could agree on a name for the caretaker prime minister after the opposition leader and the prime minister, so the matter was referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan. The commission sent five names to the parliamentary committee. This committee, comprising eight members from both houses, had to decide within 48 hours which candidate would become the caretaker prime minister. Khoso became the caretaker prime minister on June 1, 2018, and served for two months and eighteen days. His last day in office was June 18, 2018.
The seventh caretaker prime minister, Justice (r) Nasir-ul-Mulk, had a judicial background. He served as the chief justice of the Peshawar High Court from July 31, 2004 to May 3, 2005, and later as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from July 6, 2014, to August 16, 2015. He also served as the Election Commissioner of Pakistan from November 30, 2013 to July 2, 2014. He served as the caretaker prime minister for two months and 18 days, from June 1, 2018 to August 18, 2018. His appointment was made by mutual consent between the then prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and the leader of the opposition Khursheed Shah.
