Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the National Assembly would be dissolved on August 9, three days before the scheduled end of its five-year term. This move will trigger general elections in the country within 90 days. Sharif made this announcement during a dinner reception at the Prime Minister’s House held in honor of the ruling allies.
The Constitution of Pakistan stipulates that if the National Assembly completes its full tenure, elections are to be held within 60 days. However, in the case of premature dissolution, the period is extended to 90 days. Accordingly, the prime minister is expected to send a notification to President Arif Alvi for the dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9.
As per the Constitution, the assembly will stand dissolved as soon as the president signs the notification. In the event the president does not sign, the assembly will be automatically dissolved 48 hours after receiving the prime minister’s notification.
During the dinner reception, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif informed the attendees that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had completed internal consultations, and discussions with allies on the caretaker set-up were set to begin on Friday. This process is anticipated to take at least three days. Additionally, an online meeting with allies on the caretaker set-up is scheduled to be held on the same day.
During the event, Sharif highlighted the government’s achievements, including a 13% increase in revenue collection in 15 months and the inclusion of over 1.3 million new taxpayers in the tax net. He also mentioned progress in the IT sector, with IT exports reaching USD 2.6 billion in the previous fiscal year and foreign investments at USD 1.45 billion during the fiscal year 2022-23.
The reception was attended by prominent figures, including Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Speaker of the National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders Yousuf Raza Gilani, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, among others.
As the dissolution of the National Assembly approaches, political activities are intensifying in Pakistan, setting the stage for the upcoming general elections and shaping the country’s political landscape.
Source: with agencies