ISLAMABAD: President Dr. Arif Alvi approved the premature dissolution of the National Assembly after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif forwarded the summary.
“The president dissolved the National Assembly on the advice of the prime minister under Article 58-1 of the Constitution,” the President’s Office said late Wednesday on X, formerly Twitter.
The elected administration has finished its 5-year constitutional term, according to Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi.
The minister stated that the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs sent the prime minister the government dissolution summary.
The federal minister stated in the summary that the premier also requested to create an interim administration under Article 224.
He stated that the parliamentary affairs ministry will announce the summary approval and caretaker government formation.
Caretaker formation
Under Article 224-A, a caretaker prime minister will appointed after the National Assembly is dissolved.
Shehbaz and Raja Riaz will discuss the interim prime minister’s name.
If they cannot agree on a person within three days, the parliamentary committee will pick a caretaker PM.
The premier and opposition leader must submit their names to the parliamentary committee.
If the parliamentary committee cannot agree on a caretaker prime minister within three days, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will choose one from the opposition and government’s suggestions within two days.
If the legislature dissolved before the constitutional term ends, the electoral body must hold general elections within 90 days.
The Constitution requires the ECP to announce the general election results within 14 days.
Moreover, After the Council of Common Interests (CCI) approved revised census findings, the ECP must redelimit, which will take three to four months, delaying the general elections.
PM Shehbaz told the lower chamber on Wednesday that he would meet NA Leader of the Opposition Raja Riaz on Thursday to discuss caretaker premier names.
According to sources, the premier and opposition leader supposed to meet on Wednesday, but the latter’s hectic schedule prevented it.
Riaz previously rejected a standoff with the premier.
“There is time for three days, during which consultations will be done together,” he added, adding that if there is no consensus on the three temporary premier names, they will go to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Riaz promised Premier Shehbaz a single name. “We’ll work with the prime minister to name the interim PM.”
