Islamabad: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has put forward a proposal to dissolve the parliament on August 9, three days ahead of its scheduled term conclusion, according to sources within the political arena. This move, if enacted, would pave the way for a general election expected to take place by November.
The upcoming elections have been subject to speculation about potential delays due to prolonged periods of political and economic unrest in Pakistan, a nation of 220 million people armed with nuclear capabilities. Following this dissolution, a caretaker government would assume responsibility for organising the forthcoming elections. The current term of the parliament is set to conclude on August 12.
One of the parliamentarians recounted, “He mentioned plans to consult his allies regarding the formation of a caretaker administration for overseeing the elections and his proposal to dissolve the parliament.”
Efforts to obtain a comment from the Ministry of Information remained unanswered. If the parliament were dissolved three days earlier than anticipated, Sharif and his allies would gain additional time to prepare for what is predicted to be a challenging electoral contest against the party led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was removed from office.
In instances where a government relinquishes power prematurely, a caretaker government has a period of 90 days to conduct a general election. This contrasts with the standard 60-day period allotted when power is handed over at the conclusion of the parliamentary term.
Sharif’s coalition ascended to power after the removal of Khan in an April 2022 vote of no confidence. Since then, Khan has persistently campaigned for a snap election, orchestrating protests that culminated in significant violence on May 9. This tumultuous situation strained relations with the influential military establishment. Khan has accused the military of orchestrating plots against him, a claim denied by the military, which has held sway over Pakistan for a substantial portion of its history.
Despite this, Khan’s party has encountered a crackdown in recent weeks, reportedly supported by the Pakistani military. This political turmoil has unfolded alongside ongoing economic challenges.
Sharif’s administration has been accused of targeting Khan, a major political adversary, through a series of legal cases and a clampdown on his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Khan contends that these legal actions are designed to obstruct his participation in the upcoming elections, in which PTI is expected to secure a prominent position. The cricket icon himself narrowly survived an assassination attempt during a political rally in November of the previous year.
Since May, thousands of PTI supporters and activists have been apprehended following protests triggered by Khan’s brief detention. These demonstrators targeted government and military installations. Rights groups have criticised the decision to subject many of those arrested to military trials.
Pakistan has also witnessed a surge in violence, with over 90 attacks attributed to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group in the month of July alone. This group, which is banned, shares ideological alignment with the ruling Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan.
Despite securing a last-minute financial bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in June, Pakistan’s economy remains fragile, grappling with soaring inflation and a depreciating currency.
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