Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced his intention to dissolve the National Assembly ahead of schedule in anticipation of the forthcoming general elections later this year. Despite the National Assembly's five-year term officially expiring on August 12, Sharif plans to dissolve it on August 9.
As reported by Dawn, during an address in Islamabad on Tuesday, Prime Minister Sharif declared, “After completing our term tomorrow, I will write and send to the president to dissolve the assembly, and then an interim government will take over.”
Further solidifying the idea of Sharif stepping down, he recently conducted a farewell visit to the General Headquarters of the Pakistan Army located in Rawalpindi. As per The Express Tribune, this significant event symbolizes the closing chapter of his governmental leadership.
While the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led coalition government had aspired to maintain its authority until August 11, there are suggestions that President Alvi might delay the dissolution process, according to a PTI report.
To counteract any potential delays, the prime minister's advice for early dissolution ensures the National Assembly terminates before its official expiration date, granting the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) a full 90 days to orchestrate the elections.
This strategic move is vital, considering the intricate election process. If the assembly finalizes its constitutionally mandated term, the ECP would only have 60 days to oversee the election. Moreover, the recent endorsement of a new census by the Council of Common Interests has further complicated matters. This approval necessitates elections to be aligned with the new census data.
The implication of this new data is a delimitation process, which grants the ECP 120 days as per existing laws. Once this process concludes, the election proceedings will commence, implying a likely postponement of the polls by several months.