Pakistan appoints ex-CJ caretaker PM until polls

Pakistan appointed on Monday former chief justice Nasir-Ul-Mulk as caretaker prime minister until a general election on July 25 which is expected to usher in the second-ever democratic transition in the nuclear armed nation of 208 million people, reports bdnews24.com.

The interim administration does not usually make any major decisions until the new government is elected, though it may be forced to act to shore up the economy amid a worsening macro-economic outlook.

Monday's appointment, announced by premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, comes amid growing political and economic instability, and ends weeks of wrangling between Abbasi's ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party and the opposition.

"No Pakistani can lift a finger (against) such a name," Abbasi told reporters, seated next to Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah, who led talks for the opposition Pakistan People's Party (PPP).