- Thursday, February 27, 2025
While the five-year term of the Lower House is set to conclude on Saturday (12), Sharif is expected to initiate its dissolution on Wednesday.
By: Shubham Ghosh
PAKISTANI prime minister Shehbaz Sharif is likely to resign on Wednesday (9), as his coalition government prepares to prematurely dissolve Pakistan’s National Assembly to extend the timeline for conducting the upcoming general elections.
While the five-year term of the Lower House is set to conclude on Saturday (12), Sharif is expected to initiate its dissolution on Wednesday. He will transmit a recommendation to president Arif Alvi, a former leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party headed by former prime minister Imran Khan who has recently been jailed in connection to a corruption case. Should the president hesitate, the assembly would dissolve within 48 hours of the premier’s advice.
In a sign indicating his imminent resignation, Sharif undertook a farewell visit to the general headquarters of the Pakistan Army, one of the country’s most powerful institutions that have dominated its politics for most time after independence, in Rawalpindi.
This visit marked a significant moment during his tenure, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. It was accompanied by ceremonies and tributes honouring the nation’s fallen heroes. He was welcomed by the chief of army staff, General Asim Munir.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led coalition government initially aimed to remain in power for a few more days, dissolving the parliament on Friday (11). However, concerns persist that president Alvi might delay issuing a notification for dissolution. Hence, the advice for dissolution is being presented three days before the assembly’s term concludes, ensuring that even if the president hesitates, the assembly would dissolve within its term’s duration. This grants the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) a 90-day window for organising elections.
If the assembly completes its full term, the ECP is mandated to hold elections within 60 days. Yet, accommodating the new census, endorsed by the Council of Common Interests, requires a new delimitation process, allocating the ECP 120 days as per legal provisions. It means that elections could face several months of delay following the completion of the delimitation process.
Amid these developments, Pakistani interior minister Rana Sanaullah remarked on the potential delay in the upcoming general elections.
In an interview to Geo News on Tuesday (8), Sanaullah stated that 2023 is not the election year, emphasising the necessity of conducting the delimitation process in accordance with the Constitution before proceeding with the polls.
Talking about the candidate under consideration for the role of the caretaker prime minister, Sanaullah said they are all “respected names and discussions were underway”.
“No name has been locked till now. Even if it is [decided], till today (Tuesday) evening or tomorrow (Wednesday) …there are more chances that it will be locked tomorrow,” he said.
Constitutionally, the incumbent prime minister would carry on until the caretaker is agreed upon.
(With agency inputs)
