Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hit back at President Arif Alvi on Friday, saying that the constitution allowed him eight days to name a caretaker prime minister.

Speaking to journalists in an informal session, Shehbaz asked why President Alvi was in a hurry over the caretaker set up. He added that the president should have consulted the constitution before writing to him.

Earlier in the day, President Alvi had written a letter to Shehbaz telling him that the caretaker PM must be nominated in consultation with the leader of the opposition within three days of the dissolution of the assembly under Article 224A of the constitution.

Since the assembly dissolved on August 9, Alvi asked Shehbaz to propose a caretaker PM by Saturday.

However, Shehbaz told journalists that if the matter was not resolved in three days, the parliamentary committee would have another three days to decide who wold be PM. If still not resolved, Shehbaz was reported as saying, the matter would go to the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Shehbaz added that he had eight full days of premiership and he would remain on his seat until a caretaker PM was announced.