ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Wednesday said that he was hopeful that all the political parties would select the caretaker prime minister with consensus.

“The caretaker prime minister should be such a person, who remains undisputed and non-controversial, and whose past is clear,” he said in an interview with a private television channel.

To a question, the prime minister said he had no favourite for the slot.

To another question, he said there was no logic in delaying the upcoming elections as any holdup in that regard would be dangerous for Pakistan.

The prime minister, while lashing out at those who allegedly sold or bought votes in the recent election of Senate chairman and deputy chairman, said if the curse was not ended then such people {horse-traders] would be sitting in the parliament.

To a question, he said he would withdraw his statement regarding horse-trading in the election of Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani and deputy chairman if PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PTI Chairman Imran Khan declared on oath that they did not use money in the election.

He said a ruling party, having majority in the Senate, offered the slot of Senate chairman to the opposition party’s candidate but they refused. Had it happened it would have strengthened democracy in the country, he added.

Abbasi, to a question about any way out of discouraging the practice in future, said seats in the Senate should be allocated according to the party’s position in the provincial assemblies. It would increase stature of the parliament and also discourage all those who were using money in the Senate polls, he added.

He said he had asked the law ministry to prepare a draft summary for an amendment in that regard and if all the political parties were agreed on it then such an amendment could be brought in the parliament.