Imran Khan likely to take oath on August 14
According to a media report, Imran Khan may take oath as the prime minister of Pakistan on August 14, which is observed as the country’s Independence Day. Khan had earlier on July 30 expressed his desire to take oath as the prime minister on August 11.
Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had announced that it had acquired enough seats in the lower house through coalition talks to form a majority government. PTI had emerged as the single largest party in the July 25 elections and had won 116 National Assembly seats out of the contested 270 parliamentary constituencies.
"It is my and caretaker prime minister retired Justice Nasirul Mulk's desire that the oath-taking of the new prime minister should take place on August 14," caretaker Law Minister Ali Zafar said on Friday.
A fresh session of the assembly could be called on August on 11 or 12, Zafar added.
"If it is held on August 11, the election of the prime minister can take place on August 14 and on the same day President Mamnoon Hussain can administer the oath to the new prime minister," he said.
The minister unveiled a tentative schedule of the National Assembly formation and said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was already on board as it was engaged in making necessary arrangements required to hold the prime minister's election on the desired date.
If the National Assembly (NA) session is held on August 11, the new members would administer the oath the same day, Zafar said.
"We wanted that the new prime minister should take his oath on Independence Day so that the new government can start its functioning with full national fervour and commitment to bring progress to the country," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
