Pakistani Prime Minister: Parliament to be Dissolved for General Elections

Shahbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, announced on Wednesday, August 9, that he will recommend to the President of the country to dissolve the parliament and pave the way for general elections. According to Reuters, the five-year term of the parliament is set to end on August 12, but upon the Prime Minister's recommendation, it will be dissolved three days earlier. Mr. Sharif addressed the members of the Pakistani parliament, stating, "Tonight I will recommend to the President to dissolve the parliament." He added that starting from Thursday, August 10, he will begin discussions with the opposition leader to select a candidate from both sides for the position of interim Prime Minister. The recommendation by Nawaz Sharif must first be approved by Arif Alvi, the President of Pakistan, and then elections must be held within 90 days under the supervision of a caretaker government. However, since the Election Commission intends to change the boundaries of hundreds of constituencies based on a new census, voting may be delayed for several months. Analysts have stated that any delay in the elections could provoke public anger and increase instability in the nuclear-armed country. In the last general elections held in July 2018, Imran Khan's party, a former cricket champion who entered politics, won, and he was sworn in as Prime Minister a few days later. Since last year, when Imran Khan was ousted from the premiership by a parliamentary vote of no confidence, political turmoil has escalated in Pakistan, raising concerns about the country's stability. After his ousting, he was convicted in a corruption case and imprisoned, being barred from participating in elections for five years. Imran Khan has accused the powerful Pakistani military of orchestrating his removal, but military commanders deny these allegations. Since Shahbaz Sharif replaced Imran Khan, Pakistan has been grappling with a weak economy and high inflation, as the government was forced to implement extensive "economic reforms" to secure funding from the International Monetary Fund. According to Reuters, in addition to the legal issues that may arise from a delay in voting, Imran Khan's sidelining, who is considered the most popular leader in Pakistan according to polls, will cast doubt on the credibility of the elections.