Early Election to be held in Pakistan

Islamabad, 4 April 2022 (TDI): After Prime Minister, Imran Khan, decided to dissolve the Assembly on Sunday, an early election in Pakistan is expected to be held in 90 days. Prime Minister Imran Khan will stay in the office until the caretaker Prime Minister takes over, as President Arif Alvi proclaimed on Monday.

Astonished by reaction of PDM to our calling for general elections. They have been crying hoarse abt how our govt has failed & lost support of the ppl so why the fear of elections now? Democrats go to the ppl for support.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 3, 2022

Following defections from his party’s legislators and announcements by coalition partners that they would join the opposition, Khan’s majority in parliament was reduced last week.

On Sunday, Khan faced a no-confidence vote, but the Deputy Speaker of the parliament, a member of Khan’s party, stopped the move, saying that it was part of a foreign conspiracy hence “unconstitutional.”

The President dissolved the National Assembly on the Prime Minister’s advice, allowing new elections to be held.

According to a statement from the President’s Secretariat, Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi will remain Prime Minister until a caretaker Prime Minister is appointed under Article 224 A (4) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. 

After approval from the party’s core committee, Khan recommended former Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed for the interim Prime Minister position later on Monday. He will continue to serve as Prime Minister of Pakistan until Ahmed takes over.

Khan has “ceased to hold the office of Prime Minister of Pakistan with immediate effect,” according to a notification released by the Cabinet Secretariat earlier in the day. However, the President can “ask the Prime Minister to continue to hold office until his successor takes upon the office of Prime Minister,” according to Article 94 of the Constitution.

According to Article 224, A general election to the National Assembly or a Provincial Assembly shall be held within a period of sixty days immediately following the day on which the term of the Assembly is due to expire, unless the Assembly has been sooner dissolved, and the results of the election shall be declared not later than fourteen days before that day.