Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, is poised to dissolve the parliament a few days before his term ends this week, following the imprisonment of the popular former prime minister Imran Khan in a corruption case.
During a rally in Punjab province on August 6th, Sharif declared, "I will dissolve my government and the National Assembly on August 9," as reported by Agence-France Presse. The future is in the hands of Allah the Almighty. Subsequently, an interim government will take charge, and elections will be scheduled."
Speculation is mounting that federal and provincial elections might be postponed until next year after Sharif highlighted the importance of new census data. Sharif presided over a meeting on August 5th to approve the latest data, emphasizing the need for economic development to keep up with the population increase in the world's fifth-most populous nation.
Although Pakistan has until mid-November to conduct the election, the process of revising voter lists and redrawing constituencies could cause delays ranging from two to six months. Such delays might favor Sharif's ruling PML-N and allied political groups, especially with Khan's imprisonment. Khan, who previously topped opinion polls, was arrested on August 5th for concealing state gift proceeds and sent to a jail on the outskirts of Islamabad.
Compared to previous incidents of unrest in May, Khan's arrest received a muted response, with sporadic protests reported after his party called for peaceful demonstrations.
Investors reacted calmly to these recent developments, as the nation's dollar bonds showed gains in early Asian trading on Monday.
Postponing elections could provide the caretaker administration with time to address the challenges of record inflation and borrowing costs impacting Pakistan's economy, fulfilling pledges to the International Monetary Fund for a loan. An interim prime minister is expected to be appointed on August 8 or 9, although disagreements persist among Sharif and his allies regarding the candidates.
During the rally in Punjab, Sharif reiterated that his elder brother, Nawaz Sharif, currently in self-exile in London since 2019, would become Pakistan's next leader if their party PML-N secures the election. Analysts and commentators widely believe that Nawaz plays a significant role in the party's decisions.
In recent months, the military and the government have cracked down on Khan's party, leading some key members to abandon the former cricket star and join other political groups. Khan has mostly remained at his home in Punjab, venturing out only to seek bail in more than 170 legal cases.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Toshakhana trial