Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif announces Dissolution of National Assembly on August 9

Pakistan: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has declared the dissolution of the National Assembly, set to take place on August 9. The decision came after a meeting with parliamentary leaders during a dinner event to discuss the country’s political situation, as reported by The Express Tribune.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Sharif sought input from the leaders and discussed the arrangements for the caretaker prime minister and caretaker setup.

The formal advice for the dissolution of the National Assembly will be sent to the President by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on August 9. As per constitutional provisions, the President must sign the advice within 48 hours to effectuate the dissolution. If the President does not sign the advice for any reason, the Assembly will be automatically dissolved, The Express Tribune reported.

Additionally, Prime Minister Sharif assured that he will submit the name of the caretaker prime minister to the President after three days of consultation with the opposition. However, if no agreement is reached, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will step in and nominate a candidate for the caretaker prime minister position from the proposed names.

It is worth noting that Prime Minister Sharif emphasised the successful negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and stressed the significance of economic stability for the nation’s progress.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Sharif declared that the upcoming elections in Pakistan will be held based on the 2023 digital census, as shared during a recorded interview on the Aaj News show ‘Faisla Aap Ka’.

The decision, however, drew a sharp response from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), one of the ruling allies in the coalition government, who claimed that Karachi’s population has been undercounted in the new census.

Earlier, Prime Minister Sharif had a meeting with leaders of MQM-P in Karachi to address their concerns and assured that any decision on the matter would be made after consultation with all coalition partners.

The dissolution of the National Assembly is scheduled before August 12, according to Prime Minister Sharif, and he will consult with the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly and all allied parties, including Pakistan Muslim League(N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif, in making the decision about the caretaker PM.