PPP and PML-N agree to dissolve the National Assembly on August 8
- The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had proposed prematurely dissolving the National Assembly.
- The government was advised against using August 9 and 10.
- Dissolution date has not been decided yet; it will be announced officially by the minister.
LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) — the two major stakeholders in the federal government — have agreed to dissolve the National Assembly on August 8.
According to Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, the date of dissolution of the lower house of parliament has not been decided yet.
“The date [of dissolution] will be decided in consultation with the PDM and other allied parties. The decision on the date of dissolution of the National Assembly will be officially announced,” Marriyum Aurangzeb on Twitter.
قومی اسمبلی کی تحلیل کی تاریخ پر ابھی فیصلہ نہیں ہوا
— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) July 18, 2023
پی ڈی ایم اور اتحادی جماعتوں کی مشاورت سے تاریخ کا فیصلہ ہوگا قومی اسمبلی کی تحلیل کی تاریخ کے فیصلے کا باضابطہ اعلان کیا جائے گا
National Assembly’s five-year term expires on August 12 at midnight – four days before it is dissolved.
A decision was made to dissolve the assembly early on August 8 to avoid any hurdles associated with early dissolution. August 9 and 10 were also discussed, but August 8 was decided upon.
According to the law, the government has 48 hours to dissolve the assembly if the president does not approve the summary.
“A general election to the National Assembly or a provincial assembly shall be held within a period of sixty days immediately following the day on which the assembly’s term is due to expire unless the Assembly has been sooner dissolved,” Article 224 of the Constitution states.
According to the Constitution’s Article 224(2), the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) must hold general elections within 90 days if the assembly is dissolved before its constitutional term ends.
“Our government will complete its term next month. We will leave before our term ends, and an interim government will take over,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently said.
Earlier, the PPP had proposed dissolving the assembly ahead of its constitutional term.
