Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sent a letter to Raja Riaz, the outgoing leader of the opposition in the National Assembly (NA), inviting him to a meeting today to discuss the selection of a caretaker premier.
Shehbaz meets Raja Riaz: One day after the prime minister’s advice, President Dr. Arif Alvi took action to dissolve the NA, paving the way for the upcoming general elections, set to occur no later than November 9.
When the legislature dissolves before its five-year term concludes, the Constitution allows for a 90-day timeframe to arrange elections.
In his letter today, the premier affirmed that he has dissolved the NA following Article 58(1) of the Constitution. He also expressed his readiness to fulfill his constitutional responsibility in selecting the caretaker premier.
The Constitution mandates finalizing the name of the caretaker prime minister within three days after the dissolution of the assembly.
The issue will be brought to a parliamentary committee if no name can be agreed upon.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would have two days to select the caretaker PM from the list of names provided to the commission if the committee also fails to reach a resolution.
Political Landscape Unfolds: Assembly Dissolved Ahead of Elections Amid Economic Challenges
Amidst its participation in an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan program, the nation is grappling with political and economic challenges as the assembly undergoes dissolution, leading to the forthcoming general elections.
The prime minister invoked his authority under Article 58(1) to request the dissolution of the National Assembly just three days before its scheduled end on August 12.
Though there has been no formal announcement as of yet, rumours regarding various candidates for the position of caretaker prime minister have been circulating for weeks.
Everything began a few weeks ago when the government declared its plan to dissolve the assembly earlier than expected so that it would have an extra month to prepare for the election.
When Ishaq Dar, the finance minister, began to build support for the position of caretaker premier, the situation worsened. PM Shehbaz hasn’t completely ruled out Dar’s name, despite the fact that a number of other names have come up since.
There is an anticipation that the name will be disclose to the public following his meeting with the opposition leader.