By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has proposed to dissolve parliament on August 9, three days before the end of its term, political sources said Friday, paving the way for a general election by November.
The polls are due to go ahead amid months of political and economic turmoil in the nuclear-armed country of 220 million people, where former cricket star Imran Khan was ousted as premier in a vote of no confidence in April 2022.
Sharif confided in his allies at a dinner on Thursday that he would seek a dissolution on August 9 and hand over to a caretaker government to organise the polls, two members of parliament who attended the event told the IP.
The dissolution three days early would give Sharif and his allies more time to prepare for what is expected to be a bruising electoral battle with Khan’s party, which has faced a crackdown in recent weeks that analysts say was backed by the powerful military.
Khan accuses the military of plotting against him. The military, which has ruled Pakistan for about half of its history, denies that.
A caretaker government has 90 days in which to hold a general election when a government hands over power early, as opposed to 60 days if the government hands over power at the end of parliament’s term.
Sharif said he would consult his allies over the formation of a caretaker set-up, which is expected to take at least three days, one of the parliamentarians said.
A meeting with allies on the caretaker set-up is also expected to be held on Friday through Zoom, the source added.
Sharif’s party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), is hoping to capitalise on its economic achievements and infrastructure projects, while Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), is banking on populist appeal.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sharif said he had met with army chiefs several times during his long political career, but only to advance the country’s interests, dismissing criticism that he was too close to the powerful military establishment.
Sharif said he had no personal agenda in his dealings with the generals who have ruled Pakistan for nearly half of its 70-year history.
“People taunt me, calling me the establishment’s man. But this doesn’t bother me. Why? Because […] I did not intend to get any personal gains,” he said.
He said he and his brother, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, had faced imprisonment, exile and political persecution under former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, who toppled elder Sharif’s government in a 1999 coup.
“But did I get anything [out of it]? Nawaz Sharif went to jail and so did I. Nawaz Sharif went to Attock and so did I. Nawaz Sharif went to the Landhi jail and so did I. Nawaz Sharif was sent into exile and so were I and my family. So what did I get?” he said.
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