PESHAWAR: The parliament of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was dissolved on Wednesday after Governor Ghulam Ali approved the summary sent by the chief minister, Mahmood Khan, paving the way for an early election at a time of rising popular discontent over worsening economic conditions and curbs on public freedoms.
The move comes days after the dissolution on a similar pattern of the 397-member Punjab Assembly, as former prime minister Imran Khan has vowed to step away from the “corrupt political system” and force snap elections by resigning from the provincial legislatures where his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party is in power.
Khan has also banked on his popularity and wide grassroot support to force elections, and has since his ouster staged rallies across the country, calling for the vote.
According to the Constitution, the assembly was automatically disbanded 48 hours after the chief minister called for it to be dissolved. The Constitution also stipulates that elections must be held within 90 days.
A notification from the governor’s office was sent to the chief minister and Akram Khan Durrani, leader of the opposition, saying the assembly and the provincial cabinet were dissolved with immediate effect, in accordance with Section 1 of Article 112 of the Constitution.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly now stands dissolved! pic.twitter.com/Ev0wWFvbBn
— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 18, 2023
The notification further read that in terms of Section 4 of Article 224-A, “the incumbent chief minister, Mahmod Khan, shall continue to hold office to perform day-to-day affairs of the province till the appointment of the caretaker chief minister.”
According to Article 224(1-A) of the Constitution, the governor must appoint a caretaker chief minister within three days, with the help of the chief minister and leader of the opposition in the outgoing parliament.
During this period, the governor’s office will be available for consultation without the need for a formal appointment.
The former prime minister has been demanding general elections since he was ousted in April after losing a contentious vote of confidence marred by allegations of military involvement. He has also led nationwide protests against his successor, Shehbaz Sharif.
Sharif has repeatedly rejected Khan’s demands, saying elections will be held as scheduled later this year. As for the provincial assembly elections, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan said the government will hold snap polls as necessary.
In Punjab, government spokesman Musarrat Cheema told Reuters the process to choose a caretaker government to oversee the polls was underway. “We want this process to be completed as soon as possible so that we head toward elections,” she said.
Pakistan is due to hold general elections later this year. Snap elections in both provinces, in addition to general elections later this year, would be an expensive and logistically complicated exercise for a government dependent on aid.
The central government claims Khan’s tactics are damaging the economy. Pakistan has struggled with the aftermath of unprecedented floods that devastated the country last summer and which experts say were exacerbated by climate change. It is also facing a serious financial crisis and unabating militant violence.
Political analysts said this pressure played into Khan’s demands, although any local assembly elections did not constitutionally trigger a national election.
— With Reuters and AP
