Pakistan's Ruling Coalition to Dissolve National Assembly, Setting Stage for Early Elections

Pakistan's major ruling coalition partners, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), have agreed to dissolve the National Assembly on August 8, a few days before the completion of its five-year term, according to a media report on July 18.

The dissolution of the assembly will allow for extra time for general elections, as the five-year constitutional term expires on August 12. The decision to dissolve the assembly on August 8 was made to avoid any potential hurdles.

If President Mamnoon Hussain does not approve the recommendation, the National Assembly stands dissolved after 48 hours, giving the government sufficient time to achieve its goal of premature dissolution. According to the Constitution, a general election should be held within 60 days after the term of the assembly expires, unless it is dissolved earlier.

However, if the assembly is dissolved before its constitutional term, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is bound to hold the general polls within 90 days. The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance, led by the PML-N party, believes that dissolving the National Assembly would be beneficial for them.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that the government plans to leave before the completion of its tenure, and an interim government will take over. The date of dissolution has not yet been decided and will be determined in consultation with the PDM and other allied parties, according to Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.

Once the National Assembly is dissolved, a caretaker setup will be required. Sharif, as the prime minister, will write to the leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Raja Riaz, within 48 hours of the dissolution, seeking three names for the caretaker prime minister and suggesting three names himself.

If an impasse occurs, the National Assembly Speaker will form a committee to decide on the nominee, and if that fails, the Election Commission of Pakistan will make the final decision. The selected nominee will serve as the interim prime minister until the formation of a new government. Sharif became prime minister in April 2016 after the ousting of Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly.

Khan, who is now the Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has been advocating for early national elections since his removal.