Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb has said no decision has so far been taken on the date of dissolution of the National Assembly.
Responding to media reports regarding the dissolution of the Lower House, she said in a tweet today that the final date to dissolve the assembly will be taken in consultation with the Pakistan Democratic Movement and other coalition parties.
She said the decision about the date for the dissolution of the National Assembly will be formally announced.
“There will be an official announcement about the date of the NA’s dissolution,” Aurangzeb said.
Mainstream media has also been reporting contradictory statements from various leaders of the coalition parties regarding the timing of the general elections.
Federal Minister for Commerce Naveed Qamar, who belongs to the PPP, had recently stated that the assembly should be dissolved on August 8 to enable the Election Commission of Pakistan sufficient time to hold elections in November.
As per law, general elections take place within 60 days if the elected house completes its constitutional tenure of five years. In case of early dissolution, elections are held within 90 days of the dissolution.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had said he will hand over the reins to the caretaker set-up next month before the completion of the assembly’s tenure.
“Next month our government will complete its tenure, [but] we will leave before the completion of our tenure and an interim government will come in,” the prime minister had said while speaking at a laptop distribution ceremony at the Government College Women’s University in Sialkot.
