President dissolves NA on PM advice

On the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Arif Alvi has dissolved the National Assembly under the Article 58(1) of the Constitution of Pakistan. صدر مملکت ڈاکٹر عارف علوی نے قومی اسمبلی تحلیل کر دی صدر مملکت نے قومی اسمبلی کی تحلیل وزیر ِ اعظم کی ایڈوائس پر آئین کے آرٹیکل 58 ایک کے تحت کی pic.twitter.com/B7kGkMWLEh — The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) August 9, 2023 The relevant officials earlier confirmed that the presidency had received the summary for the dissolution of the National Assembly. PM Shehbaz will continue to perform his duties as the premier until the appointment of a caretaker prime minister. The dissolution of NA means that the government's term has been cut short prematurely, paving the way for a caretaker setup to take up the reins after consultations with the opposition leader. PM Shehbaz and opposition leader Raja Riaz will now conduct final discussions to determine the caretaker prime minister. Earlier in the day, in an interview with a private news channel, the premier said that as per law, if the president did not take up the summary within 48 hours, it would stand implemented and the NA would stand dissolved. Also read: May 9 riots rebellion against state, Shehbaz says in farewell NA address Regarding the caretaker set-up, the PM said consultations are underway with coalition parties to agree on a neutral interim prime minister, who would be acceptable to the people. He added that the decision would be a collective one and after finalising the names, he would hold the first meeting with Opposition Leader Raja Riaz. PM Shehbaz also said all political parties unanimously want elections as early as possible and dismissed talks of a possible delay in polls as mere speculations. He stressed the need for a balanced and inclusive approach to civil-military relations and called for all national institutions to cooperate with each other, albeit within their constitutional limits. Tumultuous NA term comes to an end The 15th National Assembly of Pakistan, ushered in by the July 25, 2018 elections and inaugurated on August 13, 2018, would have concluded its five-year term on August 12, 2023. However, it was dissolved three days earlier. This assembly has been a stage for political heavyweights, encompassing a former president, Senate chairman, prime minister, caretaker prime minister, two chief ministers, and at least five party leaders. Interestingly, this isn't President Alvi's first instance of dissolving the assembly. A precedent was set when, in April of the previous year, then-prime minister Imran Khan advised its dissolution, a move that was subsequently overturned by the Supreme Court. The 15th National Assembly's journey has been tumultuous. It weathered an early dissolution attempt and notably, it etched its name in history by becoming the first National Assembly to depose a prime minister through a successful no-confidence vote. Over the course of its tenure, the assembly witnessed the election of one president, two prime ministers, two speakers, and two deputy speakers. Despite these changes in leadership, a significant portion of its seats remained unoccupied for nearly 14 months. The assembly's inauguration on August 13, 2018, was marked by vehement protests from opposition parties, alleging election rigging. On August 18, 2018, Imran Khan, representing PTI, assumed the role of prime minister. Asad Qaiser and Qasim Suri were elected as the speaker and deputy speaker, respectively. Notably, the relationship between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, then-President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, and the treasury was characterised by acrimony, leading to an absence of cooperation between the ruling and opposition factions. In February 2022, the opposition, led by the PML-N and PPP, tabled a no-confidence motion against then prime minister Imran Khan. Notably, numerous government allies joined the opposition in this endeavour. During this period, 20 PTI lawmakers defected to form a forward bloc, further complicating the political landscape. Also read: Abbasi terms current NA ‘worst in Pakistan’s history’ In April, the then-deputy speaker, Qasim Suri, dismissed the "unconstitutional" no-confidence motion, resulting in the assembly's dissolution. However, the Supreme Court promptly intervened, overturning Suri's ruling and reinstating the assembly. With momentum building for the no-confidence motion, Speaker Asad Qaiser resigned on April 9, followed by Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri. On April 9, 2022, the no-confidence motion successfully ousted Imran Khan from office, with Shehbaz Sharif subsequently elected as the new premier on April 11. Following the motion's passage, 125 PTI MNAs, including Imran Khan, tendered their resignations from the assembly. However, the defectors chose not to align with this move. The aftermath saw Raja Parvez Ashraf elected as the new Speaker on April 15, 2022, followed by Zahid Durrani's appointment as deputy speaker on April 20. PTI defectors leader Raja Riaz took on the role of opposition leader. During Imran Khan's premiership, the National Assembly experienced a contentious atmosphere, marked by strained relations between the treasury and opposition that hindered legislative progress. Consequently, substantive legislation was minimal during the initial three and a half years. Notably, only a single significant law concerning the tenure of the army chief secured broad opposition support. However, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz, the assembly's legislative productivity surged. In the final week of its term, the house passed numerous bills, reflecting a flurry of activity before its imminent dissolution. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9, three days prior to the five-year term's culmination. According to the Constitution, if the assembly is dissolved on time, elections will transpire within 60 days. Yet, if dissolution occurs even a day earlier, the election period extends to 90 days, underscoring the meticulous timeline prescribed by Pakistan's constitutional framework.

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