Nayyar Bukhari urges government to complete its term

PPP leader opposes early dissolution of assemblies

Nayyar Bukhari, a central leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), expressed his opinion that the incumbent coalition government should complete its term rather than dissolving the National Assembly (NA) early.

The term is set to expire on August 12, according to the schedule. Bukhari's remarks come in response to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's announcement that the coalition government would transfer power to the caretaker setup after the term's expiration.

NA's five-year term began under the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government on August 12, 2018, and is scheduled to conclude with a PM Shehbaz-led ruling coalition following the removal of former premier Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote in April of the previous year.

Initially, PM Shehbaz stated that the government's term would end on August 14, which coincides with Pakistan's Independence Day. However, a member of the federal cabinet later clarified that the prime minister referred to August 14 in the context of the country's Independence Day and declared that he would hand over the government to the caretakers "upon completion of the constitutional term" on August 12.

In a recent statement, Bukhari argued against dissolving the assemblies just a few days before the term's expiry, stating that it would not send a good message. He emphasised that elections should be held on the day the NA completes its five-year term, according to the oath taken by lawmakers on August 13, 2018.

Additionally, he suggested that general elections in the country should take place on October 12.

He highlighted that dissolving the assemblies to gain an additional 30 days would not make a significant difference.

Both the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and political parties are aware of the incumbent government's term completion and the subsequent requirement to hold elections within 60 days, he highlighted, emphasising that dissolving the assemblies would only provide a few extra days and would send a negative message.