IT is now almost official that the National Assembly would be dissolved on August 09, three days before completion of its constitutionally-mandated tenure. According to media reports, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who hosted a farewell dinner in honour of the ruling allies on Thursday, told the participants that he will be moving the summary for dissolution of the lower house on May 09. They were also informed that the PML(N) had finalized internal consultations and now it will hold a final round of discussions with allies to finalize details about the caretaker setup. Shehbaz Sharif recounted achievements of the coalition Government and declared that all of his decisions were motivated by national interests.
It is now absolutely clear whether a summary would be moved on the 9th for dissolution of the National Assembly or it would stand dissolved on that date. However, in any case, the dissolution would take effect ahead of the completion of the assembly’s tenure. In case, the summary for the purpose is moved on the 9th, it would stand dissolved within 48 hours of the advice of the Prime Minister even if the President doesn’t approve it instantly. And dissolution on the 9th would require the Prime Minister to move the summary for the President on the 7th. In either scenario, the National Assembly would stand dissolved ahead of completion of the tenure of the coalition government which means general election would be held within 90 days and not in 60 days. This is because the Constitution provides that if the assembly completes its tenure, elections are to be held in 60 days, but in case of premature dissolution — which will be the case now — this period is extended to 90 days. The statement of the PM also confirms the PML(N) has completed its homework for the entire exercise and now it will take allies on board. In his significant remarks, the Prime Minister is reported to have said that the interim PM would have the confidence of all stakeholders. This is important as the caretaker setup is expected to take crucial decisions relating both to the conduct of elections and running of the state affairs and a consensus on the name would help avoid controversies. Strangely enough, as the Prime Minister has given almost a definite date for dissolution of the assembly and intention of the coalition government to leave power, the Council of Common Interests (CCI) would meet today (Saturday) to decide about publication of results of the new population census. In case, a decision is made to notify the results/data, it would be mandatory for the Election Commission to hold elections after fresh delimitation of constituencies which is not a possibility if the polls are to be held within 90 days. It is to be seen how this enigma is to be sorted out – would it mean extension of the tenure of the coalition government or the interim setup and how it is to be done. Much, however, depends on the actual deliberations and decision of the CCI where a consensus on notification of the results seems unlikely, especially when the PPP stands firm for the conduct of elections without a delay. As for the achievements of the government, the Prime Minister can take legitimate pride for giving a policy direction to the country and a concrete movement towards consolidation of the economy. Despite recessionary trends, the government increased revenue collection by 13 per cent in 15 months as more than 1.3 million new taxpayers were included in the tax net. A significant progress was made in the IT sector as the total volume of IT exports went up to $2.6 billion during the last fiscal year whereas the Government successfully implemented Rs 1.8 trillion Kissan Package. The Prime Minister also claimed that power sector recoveries remained over 90%, which speaks volumes about efforts of the government to address the challenges facing the sector but unfortunately circular debt is still on the rise and the electricity tariff has become unsustainable for a majority of the population. The government also deserves credit for completion of a number of development schemes and projects despite paucity of resources.
