Pakistan’s Premier Sharif signals elections on time
KARACHI, Pakistan (AA): Indicating that general elections in Pakistan will be held on time in October, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Thursday that his government would dissolve next month and hand over the reigns to a caretaker setup.
The current five-year term of National Assembly, or the lower house of the bicameral parliament, ends on Aug. 13.
It first elected Imran Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), as prime minister on Aug. 18, 2018, but removed his government in a no-confidence vote in April last year and then elected Sharif, the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), to the coveted position.
Sharif was elected with support from a coalition of 11 parties — known as Pakistan Democratic Movement.
According to the Constitution, the lower house is elected for a five-year term, and before new elections, an “apolitical” setup is installed with the mandate to hold fresh elections.
Sharif said, during a televised address to the nation, he was given the “sacred responsibility” of running the country by the nation as prime minister in April last year.
“We will return this responsibility in August 2023 to the caretaker government,” he maintained.
The caretaker prime minister is jointly chosen by the sitting prime minister and the opposition leader.
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