President Arif Alvi formally signed the summary for the dissolution of the National Assembly (NA).
“The president dissolved the National Assembly on the advice of the prime minister under Article 58-1 of the Constitution,” read an official statement issued by the President’s Office on X, formerly known as Twitter, late Wednesday.
The move follows a proposal by the Prime Minister, signaling a crucial step in the country’s political landscape. The President’s approval marks the transition into a new phase of political activity, triggering preparations for upcoming elections.
Earlier, PM Shehbaz Sharif had forwarded a summary to President Arif Alvi, formally advising the dissolution of the National Assembly.
The National Assembly will be dissolved within 48 hours if President Arif Alvi will not sign on the summary.
PM Shehbaz will meet Opposition leader in NA Raja Riaz on Thursday (August 10).
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Murtaza Javed Abbasi announced the dissolution of the government. He said elected government has completed its five years constitutional term.
“The summary calls for the formation of a caretaker government under Article 224,” Abbasi said.
The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs will issue a notification after the summary approval and formation of caretaker government.
The anticipated move comes as the coalition government faces its final days, opting to dissolve the lower house of the parliament ahead of its constitutional term’s conclusion on August 12.
The motive behind this early dissolution lies in the government’s pursuit of extending the election timeline, a constitutional allowance of 90 days when a premature assembly dissolution occurs.
Article 58 of the Constitution mandates the premier to advise the president on this matter; the president’s approval is required, and if not granted, the assembly automatically dissolves within 48 hours.
“The president shall dissolve the National Assembly if so advised by the prime minister; and the National Assembly shall, unless sooner dissolved, stand dissolved at the expiration of forty-eight hours after the prime minister has so advised,” the constitutional article stipulates.
Since the ousting of the former international cricket star from power in April of the preceding year, Pakistan has been embroiled in a political maelstrom.
The culmination of this upheaval saw his incarceration on corruption charges over the weekend, culminating a months-long crackdown on his political party.
