In a tweet, Ismail claimed that the caretaker PM will either be from Sindh or Punjab. However he clarified that the statement was an analysis and not an insider report.

Ismail said that former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was a strong candidate because he would be ‘acceptable’ to political quarters.

Abbasi has been away from the public eye and has lost his positions within the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz. He has been propagating for a system overhaul under his ‘Reimagine Pakistan’ forum.

Ismail also added that the other strong candidate was former finance minister Hafeez Sheikh as he had a good reputation with the International Monetary Fund as well as other financial institutions.

However, Ismail added that he did not see timely elections under any circumstances and the caretaker setup was likely to be in place for a long time.