Pakistan President Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly on Wednesday at outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s advice, as reported by the news agency PTI. This marks the end of the tenure of the current government and paves the way for the next general election. The notification for the dissolution of the assembly was issued by the Aiwan-i-Sadr, which said the National Assembly was dissolved under Article 58 of Pakistan’s Constitution. “The Prime Minister’s advice at para 6 of the summary is approved,” President Alvi said in a statement, as quoted by PTI.
“President Dr. Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly. The President dissolved the National Assembly on the advice of the Prime Minister under Article 58-1 of the Constitution,” his office posted on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. On Wednesday, Sharif wrote to Alvi and sought dissolution of the National Assembly three days before the end of its five-year constitutional term.
Later, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Murtaza Javed Abbasi said in a statement that “the elected government has completed its five-year term”, and his ministry had forwarded the summary for the dissolution of the assembly to the prime minister under Article 58 of Pakistan’s Constitution, Dawn newspaper reported.
Earlier on Thursday, Sharif also chaired the final meeting of the federal cabinet in Islamabad. Speaking during his farewell address at the National Assembly on Wednesday, he said: “Tonight, with the permission of the House, I will send the advice for the dissolution of the National Assembly to the president,” as quoted by PTI.
The advice from Prime Minister Sharif for the dissolution was sent to President Alvi three days before the expiration of the term of the lower house of Parliament. Since the assembly has been dissolved before time, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would hold elections within 90 days. If the National Assembly had completed its constitutional term, the polls would have been held within 60 days, but in case of dissolution before time.
The polls are likely to see a 2-month delay as the results of the new census have been approved, which makes it a constitutional obligation to carry out delimitation before elections. The ECP is bound to carry out delimitation within 120 days and then announce the election schedule.
“On the completion of the incumbent government’s term, I would send a summary to the President of Pakistan for dissolution of the National Assembly by Wednesday (and then an interim government will take over,” Prime Minister Sharif said on Tuesday while addressing a ceremony, as quoted by PTI.
The outgoing assembly was the 15th National Assembly. Following the dissolution of the National Assembly, a process to appoint a caretaker prime minister will begin under Article 224-A of Pakistan’s Constitution.
Prime Minister Sharif and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Raja Riaz will hold consultations to finalise the name of the interim prime minister. If they failed to agree on the name within three days, the matter will go to the parliamentary committee for the appointment of caretaker prime minister, PTI reported.