‘Pak interim govt set-up likely to be apolitical’
Islamabad, Oct 5 : President Pervez Musharraf is most likely to install an apolitical caretaker set-up immediately after getting re-elected as President for which he has already started interviewing prospective Prime Ministers.
Musharraf’s advisors from the armed forces have urged him not to include politicians into the caretaker set-up, well-placed sources said.
Therefore, the sources were of the view that the caretaker Prime Minister would be having the full backing of the armed forces and no inclination to any of the political parties.
Sources also hinted that the incumbent government would be soon replaced by the interim set up. However, the assemblies would complete the term ending November 15, 2007, they added.
Other than the premier, the upcoming caretaker set up would include a significant number of the PPP-P nominees.
Fazlur Rehman, the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly would also have his say in the caretaker set up to a certain extent in addition to due share of the ruling coalition parties, sources said.
They further said that Musharraf’s close aides in the armed forces have suggested to him to adopt a non-political posture after securing the next term as the President, The Nation reported.
Sources believe that the suggestions of dissociation from the politicians ahead of the next general elections and also in appointment of caretaker government came in as a cure for damage done by the recent political moves that backfired.
Sources quoting one of the close aides of Musharraf in the armed forced said that "all the decisions, chiefly the reference against the Chief Justice that came from the political side of the regime impacted negatively on the image of the army." (ANI)