Khoso takes oath as caretaker PM

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday administered oath of office to Justice (retd) Mir Hazar Khan Khoso as the Caretaker Prime Minister in a ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.

Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) did not attend the ceremony. However, former minister for railways Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour represented the Awami National Party (ANP) and Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani represented the Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI) while a large number of former PPP ministers, Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza, former prime ministers Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani attended the ceremony.
Justice (retd) Khoso is the sixth caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan, followed by Ghulam Mustafa Khan Jatoi (August 6, 1990 to November 6, 1990), Mir Balakh Sher Mazari (April 18, 1993 to May 26, 1993), Moin Qureshi (July 8, 1993 to October 19, 1993), Malik Meraj Khalid (October 6, 1996 to February 17, 1997) and Muhammad Mian Soomro (November 16, 2007 to March 24, 2008).
INP adds: President Asif Ali Zardari said the formation of caretaker government in the country through constitutional means had strengthened democracy. The president congratulated the newly-selected caretaker PM and assured him of his full cooperation during a meeting at the Presidency.
Zardari said the new democratic tradition had brightened the future of democracy in Pakistan. He hoped that the caretaker government would ensure free and fair general election.The caretaker PM said that he would try his best to come up to the expectations of the nation. He hoped that democracy would keep growing in the country in the days to come.Justice (retd) Khoso assured the president that he would not allow any hurdle to come in the way of free and fair elections and would perform his duty impartially.