Tumultuous NA term ends today

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday confirmed that the term of the National Assembly would be cut short prematurely on August 9 (today), paving the way for a caretaker setup to take up the reins after consultations with the opposition leader.

PM Shehbaz Sharif will formally recommend to President Arif Alvi the dissolution of the 15th National Assembly once the government’s term is completed. The president will have 48 hours to comply with the recommendation; if he fails to do so, the legislature will automatically stand dissolved.

During a ceremony in Islamabad, the premier stated, "After completing our government's term tomorrow, I will write and send the advice to the president to dissolve the assembly, and then an interim government will take over."

The farewell session of the National Assembly has been scheduled for today at 2 pm, during which the prime minister will address the assembly. Following the dissolution, PM Shehbaz and opposition leader Raja Riaz will engage in final talks to consult on the appointment of the caretaker prime minister.

The prime minister has also called on the parliamentary leaders of the coalition parties for a final consultation on the interim setup. However, sources indicate that the prime minister, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, former president Asif Ali Zardari, and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman have already concluded their consultations.

In parallel, the opposition leader has finalised three names after consultation. The prime minister and the opposition leader are expected to reach an agreement on one of these three names.

PM denies finalisation of candidate

However, contrary to earlier indications from sources, the outgoing prime minister denied the finalisation of any candidates for the post. In an appearance on a private news channel, PM Shehbaz stated that no names have been shortlisted and that consultations with the government's allies and his own party members would be completed within a day or two.

Responding to questions about a potential appointment of former finance minister Dr Hafeez Sheikh as the interim prime minister, the prime minister reiterated that no name had been finalised.

The premier emphasised that the ruling coalition parties should collectively decide on a candidate who is "generally acceptable" to the people.

Similarly, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Raja Riaz also clarified that he had not yet met or consulted the prime minister regarding the names of the caretaker prime minister. He expressed his hope for a meeting in the near future to discuss these matters at the right time.

Riaz further stated that the consultation process with his allies had been completed, and three names for the interim prime minister were almost 90% finalised.

During an appearance on a news channel, Riaz mentioned that the names for the caretaker prime minister candidates were finalised after three meetings with opposition lawmakers.

However, he specified that the candidates did not include any politicians, but an economist had been shortlisted. Riaz clarified that former finance minister Dr Hafeez Shaikh was not among the candidates on the opposition's final list.

Riaz added he could even consider a politician for the slot if suggested by the government. On delay in elections, he said polls should ideally be held within three months but the approval of the new census had complicated matters.
“I think the election will be delayed by six months,” he said.

The 15th National Assembly of Pakistan, ushered in by the July 25, 2018 elections and inaugurated on August 13, 2018, is poised to conclude its five-year term on August 12, 2023. 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 Arif 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 the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (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 characterized 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 Prime Minister Imran Khan. Notably, numerous government allies joined the opposition in this endeavor. During this period, 20 PTI lawmakers defected to form a forward bloc, further complicating the political landscape.

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 Prime Minister 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.