Islamabad: President Dr. Arif Alvi approved the premature dissolution of the National Assembly immediately after the summary was sent by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“The President dissolves the National Assembly on the advice of the Prime Minister under Article 58-1 of the Constitution,” read an official statement from the Office of the President on X, formerly known as Twitter, late Wednesday.
صدر مملکت ڈاکٹر عارف علوی نے قومی اسمبلی تحلیل کر دی
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) August 9, 2023
صدر مملکت نے قومی اسمبلی کی تحلیل وزیر ِ اعظم کی ایڈوائس پر آئین کے آرٹیکل 58 ایک کے تحت کی pic.twitter.com/B7kGkMWLEh
With the dissolution of the lower house of parliament, the federal cabinet was also dissolved.
Earlier in a statement, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi confirmed this progress and said that the elected government has completed its 5-year constitutional term.
The minister further said that ‘Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has sent the summary of dissolution of the government to the Prime Minister’.
In the summary, the Federal Minister said that the Prime Minister was also asked to form the interim government under Article 224 of the Constitution.
He further said that the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs will issue a notification for the summary approval and formation of caretaker government.
Caregiver formation
After the dissolution of the National Assembly, the process of appointment of caretaker prime minister under Article 224-A of the Constitution will begin.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Raja Riaz will consult to finalize the name of the interim prime minister.
In case of no agreement on the name within three days, the matter will go to the parliamentary committee for the appointment of caretaker prime minister.
Under the law, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition will send their respective names to the parliamentary committee.
The parliamentary committee has to finalize the name of the caretaker prime minister within three days or if it also fails to reach a consensus on the name, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will select the caretaker prime minister within two days. Names proposed by the opposition and the government.
The Election Commission will announce the date of elections under Article 224-1 and if the Assembly is dissolved before the expiry of the constitutional term, general elections will have to be held within 90 days.
After the general elections, the ECP is constitutionally obliged to officially notify the election results within 14 days.
However, the general elections in the country are likely to be delayed after the Council of Common Interests (CCI) approved the new census results, which required the ECP to draw new delimitations – a The exercise is likely to take three to four months.
Addressing the Lower House on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that he will meet Leader of the Opposition Raja Riaz in the National Assembly today (Thursday) to consider the names of the Caretaker Prime Minister.
Sources familiar with the matter say that the meeting between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition was supposed to take place on Wednesday, but it was postponed due to the engagement of the Leader of the Opposition as he will not be able to meet the Prime Minister today.
Earlier, when asked if there was any rift between him and the prime minister, Riaz denied any such suggestion.
“There is three days’ time, during which consultations will be held,” he said, adding that if there is no agreement on the three names, the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) names for the interim prime minister. Will pass.
Riaz insisted that he would secure an agreement with Prime Minister Shehbaz on one name. All efforts will be made to fix the name of the interim Prime Minister with the Prime Minister.
