The National Assembly of Pakistan has been dissolved by President Dr. Arif Alvi, following a summary from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. This decision, made under Article 58-1 of the Constitution, came after Shehbaz Sharif’s announcement during a National Assembly session. The government’s term, which began after the removal of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has ended ahead of schedule. Elections were initially planned to be held within 90 days of the assembly’s dissolution on August 9.
However, there’s now talk of a potential delay in the upcoming general elections due to the unanimous approval of the 2023 census by the Council of Common Interest. While some ministers believe elections could be delayed by a couple of months for technical reasons, no specific timeline has been confirmed.
With the dissolution of the National Assembly, the focus has shifted to the formation of a caretaker setup before the next general election. The ruling coalition and the opposition are in consultation to mutually agree on a caretaker prime minister. Names like Ishaq Dar, Hafeez Sheikh, Justice Shakeel Baloch, and even former foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani have emerged as potential candidates. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Opposition Leader Raja Riaz are scheduled to meet to finalize the selection for the caretaker prime minister.
