No decision yet on date for dissolution of National Assembly: Marriyum Aurangzeb

Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Tuesday asserted that no decision had been taken yet by the incumbent government and its allies regarding the dissolution date of the National Assembly.

Reacting to media reports about the NA’s early dissolution on August 8, days before its term completes on August 12, the information minister told Dawn.com: “A decision has not been taken yet on the NA’s dissolution date.”

She said the date would be decided in consultation between the government and its allies.

“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.

However, another cabinet member belonging to the PPP, had claimed that there had been no decision in the party about the date for the dissolution of the NA and that Qamar’s statement was his “personal opinion or suggestion”.

Another key cabinet member belonging to the ruling PML-N had told Dawn that the date of the assembly’s dissolution would be finalised by the coalition partners “very soon.”

“It will be a collective decision of the Pakistan Democratic Movement and other coalition parties,” the minister had said.

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.