Pakistan's parliament dissolved to pave way for elections
Pakistan's President Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, on Wednesday, setting the stage for the general elections likely to be conducted in November. The move came three days before the schedule on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The parliament's five-year term expires on Saturday. Now, a caretaker prime minister will be picked for administration until the elections.
Why does this story matter?
This comes on the heels of the imprisonment of Imran Khan, Sharif's predecessor and currently the country's most popular leader. Barred from contesting elections for five years due to his conviction, Khan has accused Sharif, the United States, and the Pakistani military of conspiring to remove him from power. Notably, Khan won the previous election but was ousted in a no-confidence vote last year.
Constituencies may be redrawn based on recent census
Usually, an election has to be conducted within 90 days of disbanding the National Assembly. However, the upcoming election could be delayed until the spring if Pakistan's election commission decides to redraw constituencies based on the results of a recent census.
Faced multiple challenges including flood and default: Sharif
Sharif addressed his last cabinet meeting on Wednesday, saying that he faced multiple challenges, including an economic crisis that brought Pakistan to the brink of default. During his tenure, the country also faced devastating floods that killed 1,739 people and caused damage to the tune of $30 billion. Pakistan averted bankruptcy after negotiating a $3 billion bailout package with the International Monetary Fund.
Khan's conviction challenged
Separately, Khan has challenged his conviction before the Islamabad High Court, which on Wednesday sought the government and the election commission's reply before deciding whether to overturn his conviction. However, the court didn't schedule a date for the next hearing. It is being viewed as a setback for Khan's legal team, which has claimed that Khan is being kept in "harsh solitary confinement."
