In a significant political development in Pakistan, President Dr. Arif Alvi has dissolved the National Assembly based on the advice of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. This move was carried out in accordance with Article 58(1) of the Constitution of Pakistan.
Following the dissolution of the National Assembly, the federal cabinet also stands dissolved. Prior to this decision, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif had sent a summary to President Arif Alvi, requesting the dissolution of the National Assembly and the formation of a caretaker government to oversee the upcoming general elections.
With the dissolution of the National Assembly, the present government and federal cabinet have come to an end. According to the constitution, elections must be held within 90 days of the assembly’s dissolution.
In line with constitutional requirements, the Election Commission of Pakistan will announce the date of the elections under Article 224 of the Constitution. After the general elections, the Election Commission will have 14 days to announce the election results.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif will remain in office as the caretaker prime minister until the appointment of a new prime minister. He is scheduled to meet with the Leader of the Opposition, Raja Riyaz, to discuss the nomination for the caretaker prime minister.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has recommended the names of former Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani and former Chief Justice of Pakistan Tassaduq Hussain Jilani for the position of caretaker prime minister. Meanwhile, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has suggested the name of Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori for the role of caretaker prime minister.
Following the assembly’s dissolution, there is a three-day window for finalizing the name of the caretaker prime minister. If consensus is not reached within this period, the matter will be referred to a parliamentary committee.
The parliamentary committee will consist of the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, and it will have three days to finalize the name of the caretaker prime minister. If the committee fails to reach a decision, the Election Commission of Pakistan will be tasked with announcing the name of the caretaker prime minister within two days.
This development comes after a farewell session was held in the National Assembly yesterday, during which leaders from both the government and the opposition delivered farewell speeches and held meetings. The Speaker of the National Assembly, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, also met individually with his staff and assembly members.This assembly was the first in Pakistan’s parliamentary history to successfully pass a vote of no confidence against the sitting prime minister. The 15th National Assembly of Pakistan, which began on August 13, 2018, has witnessed the election of a president, two prime ministers, two speakers, and two deputy speakers during its tenure.
