Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has announced the dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9, following a comprehensive discussion of the countrys political landscape with parliamentary leaders, Pakistan-based news outlet The Express Tribune reported.National Assembly of Pakistan will be dissolved after five days on 9th August which is three days before the completion of term. Election Commission will have time to hold elections in under 90 days instead of 60 days.— Wajahat Kazmi (@KazmiWajahat) August 3, 2023The decision was taken after a dinner held in honour of parliament members, as per media reports.The Prime Minister engaged in extensive consultations with the parliament members, seeking input from the attending leaders. Central to the discussions were the arrangements for the upcoming caretaker prime minister and the corresponding transitional setup.Shehbaz Sharif underscores process of dissolving Pakistan National AssemblyPrime Minister Shahbaz Sharif outlined the procedural timeline, highlighting that on August 9, formal advice for the National Assemblys dissolution would be forwarded to the President of Pakistan, Arif Alvi.The constitutional protocol mandates the Presidents endorsement within 48 hours to enact the dissolution. Should any unforeseen circumstances arise, and the President refrains from signing, the dissolution will automatically take effect, as reported by The Express Tribune.Addressing the process of selecting a caretaker prime minister, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif emphasised a thorough three-day consultation with the opposition, following which the chosen candidate will be proposed to the President for consideration.However, in case of a scenario where no such consensus can be reached, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will assume the responsibility of nominating a caretaker prime minister from the pool of suggested names.Importantly, during the discussions, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif highlighted the successful negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), emphasising the crucial role of economic stability in driving Pakistans progress and development.National Assembly dissolution contrary to Sharifs previous claims of hosting electionsThis latest development is a departure from Sharifs previous statements. Only last week, the Prime Minister said that the upcoming elections in Pakistan would be organised based on the 2023 digital census. This stance was articulated during an interview on the Aaj News show Faisla Aap Ka, broadcast on Tuesday, according to news outlet Dawn.“We have to hold the elections on the basis of the new census… When a census has been conducted, the [polls] should be held on its basis unless there is an obstacle that cannot be overcome. But I dont see [any such hurdle],” Sharif had said, according to Dawn.Furthermore, Prime Minister Sharif also conveyed his intent to present the census results to the Council of Common Interest (CCI), the body responsible for endorsing census outcomes, once they were formally finalised.Earlier in an earlier interview on a programme on news channel Geo News, Prime Minister Sharif had reaffirmed his intent to dissolve the National Assembly before August 12. He reiterated his commitment to thorough consultations with the opposition leader and allied parties, as well as Pakistan Muslim League (N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif, in the decision-making process.
