Pakistan Peoples Party proposes August 8 as date for dissolution of assemblies

Islamabad [Pakistan]: Shehbaz Sharif-led Pakistan government’s key coalition partner Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), on Tuesday, proposed to dissolve the national and all the provincial assemblies on August 8, as it completed the five-year constitutional term next month, Geo News reported.

“PPP has suggested the government dissolve all assemblies on August 8,” Minister for Commerce and Investments Naveed Qamar said while speaking to reporters in the Parliament House. Meanwhile, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar categorically stated that there would be no extension in the term of the National Assembly.

Talking to journalists, the minister said that they were committed to holding free and fair general elections.

“There are many minor flaws in the Election Act,” he said, adding that a parliamentary committee was reviewing the proposal of the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen), Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development (Pildat) and different political parties, reported Geo news.

He vowed to make public the recommendations of the parliamentary body.

The statements came a day after Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said the assemblies could be dissolved earlier than the scheduled date of August 13 to “facilitate” the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

“If the assemblies get dissolved on August 11 instead of 13, the ECP will get more time to hold elections,” he said while speaking on Geo News programme’ Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ in response to a question about the ruling party looking to delay elections till November.

Earlier, Pakistan Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said on Thursday that once the tenure ends, a caretaker set-up will be established and will take place on August 13, ARY News reported.

Further speaking on the amendments in the Election Act, Tarar said that Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif’s lifetime disqualification has ended, and now he and Jahangir Tareen, both are eligible to contest the elections.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) dissolved the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in January, while the legislatures in Sindh and Balochistan and the National Assembly are yet to be dissolved, according to Geo News.

The anchorperson then asked the minister whether the intention behind delaying the dissolution of the assemblies was to “facilitate the ECP or politics” so that verdicts were issued in cases against the PTI chief and Nawaz got time for the election campaign after his expected return before the polls.

Sanaullah said, “I don’t think the difference of 20 to 30 days makes much of a difference. We have been managing matters according to constitutional requirements.”

Sanaullah’s statement comes as the final 30-day countdown to the end of the current parliament’s term and the government’s tenure is set to begin this week, and the term of the National Assembly, along with the provincial assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan, is set to expire on August 12.