Back to pavilion: NA packs up tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly will dissolve tomorrow (Wednesday) after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s address to the farewell session.

The prime minister after addressing the lower house of the parliament will forward a summary to President Dr Arif Alvi for dissolution of the 15th National Assembly of Pakistan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while addressing public rally had announced that the NA would be dissolved on August 09, just three days before the lower house of the parliament completes its five-year constitutional term.

Elections likely to be held in first week of March: Sanaullah

It would be liable to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold polls within 90 days if the summary is moved to dissolve the lower house on August 9 (tomorrow).

However, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on August 1 that elections would be held on the basis of the latest census. Although some of the ruling allies, including the PPP, had opposed holding the polls under the fresh census, the Council of Common Interest (CII) on Saturday had approved the results of the 2023 digital census.

A day after the CCI ratified the census, making it almost certain that general elections may not be held this year due to the compulsory need for fresh delimitations, the federal government shifted the responsibility of conducting polls to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) within the next three months.

Before dissolution of the assembly, the government and the opposition required to agree over the caretaker set up to fill the gap before the next general election and installation of elected new government.

In this regard Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and opposition leader Raja Riaz will be meeting tomorrow to finalise the names of the caretaker set up.