LAHORE - Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition Mian Mahmood ur Rashid will meet today (Friday) to discuss the proposed names for the caretaker chief minister.

Opposition leader Mahmoodur Rashid told the media Thursday that his meeting with the CM on caretaker CM name is due to take place at 3pm today.

Against three names from the opposition side in the Punjab Assembly, the government has floated the name of former Chief Secretary Punjab Kamran Rasool as acting CM although the PML-N sources say that two other names are on the government table but they have not been disclosed so far.

From the Opposition side, name of two economists, Dr Salman Shah, Shahid Kardar and former Director General FIA, Tariq Mahmood Khosa have been presented. Although legally consultation for reaching a consensus name for the caretaker Chief Minister for conducting General election in the province is carried out between the Chief Minister and the leader of the Opposition but so far the process has been held between Law Minister Punjab and the leader of the Opposition. Sources say hitherto both sides have not reached to the decision on a consensus candidate and hopefully headway will be made through the parley between the Chief Minister and Opposition leader today.

Spokesman for the PM  Mussadaq Malik told a private TV channel that the sitting Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will continue after May 31 if consensus can’t be developed.