In order to "facilitate" the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Monday that the assemblies might be dissolved sooner than the scheduled date of August 13.
While speaking at the Geo News program," he responded to a question concerning the governing party's desire to push out elections until November by saying that if the legislatures are dissolved on August 11 rather than August 13, the ECP will have more time to organize elections.
The minister said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and its supremo, Nawaz Sharif, were unambiguous in their support for dissolving assemblies and holding elections on schedule.
The National Assembly and the provincial assemblies were all dissolved by the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in January.
While responding to a question about whether the delay in dissolving the assemblies was done to "facilitate the ECP or politics" so that judgments in the cases against the PTI leader would be handed down and Nawaz would have time for the election campaign after his anticipated return before the elections.
He responded, "I don't think the difference of 20 to 30 days makes much of a difference. We have been managing matters in accordance with the law.
The National Assembly's term, along with the provincial assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan, is scheduled to expire on August 12; the last 30-day countdown to the end of the present parliament's term and the government's tenure is due to begin this week.
In Islamabad, Karachi, and Quetta, a caretaker government will run the country's affairs when the assemblies are dissolved.
Since the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa legislatures were dissolved months before their terms were set to expire in January, Interim governments have already been established in Lahore and Peshawar.
He clarified, however, that the 90-day window did not obligate the ECP to hold elections on the 90th day but rather that it might do so at any time, "be it after 64 days or 72 days."
Even so, he gave the following assurance: "The assemblies will be dissolved after their terms are over, at which point the caretaker setup will come and elections will be held in accordance with the Constitution."
While speaking at the Geo News program," he responded to a question concerning the governing party's desire to push out elections until November by saying that if the legislatures are dissolved on August 11 rather than August 13, the ECP will have more time to organize elections.
The minister said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and its supremo, Nawaz Sharif, were unambiguous in their support for dissolving assemblies and holding elections on schedule.
The National Assembly and the provincial assemblies were all dissolved by the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in January.
While responding to a question about whether the delay in dissolving the assemblies was done to "facilitate the ECP or politics" so that judgments in the cases against the PTI leader would be handed down and Nawaz would have time for the election campaign after his anticipated return before the elections.
He responded, "I don't think the difference of 20 to 30 days makes much of a difference. We have been managing matters in accordance with the law.
The National Assembly's term, along with the provincial assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan, is scheduled to expire on August 12; the last 30-day countdown to the end of the present parliament's term and the government's tenure is due to begin this week.
In Islamabad, Karachi, and Quetta, a caretaker government will run the country's affairs when the assemblies are dissolved.
Since the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa legislatures were dissolved months before their terms were set to expire in January, Interim governments have already been established in Lahore and Peshawar.
He clarified, however, that the 90-day window did not obligate the ECP to hold elections on the 90th day but rather that it might do so at any time, "be it after 64 days or 72 days."
Even so, he gave the following assurance: "The assemblies will be dissolved after their terms are over, at which point the caretaker setup will come and elections will be held in accordance with the Constitution."