Islamabad, August 4 (PTI): Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shahbaz Sharif, announced that the National Assembly will be dissolved on August 9, three days before the completion of its term, necessitating general elections to be held within 90 days in the country.

In a reported event organized for coalition partners at the Prime Minister’s residence on Friday, “The Don” newspaper quoted Sharif saying, “Every politician dreams of serving the country. I never thought that I would get the opportunity to serve Pakistan so soon in my career. After the Under-19 World Cup, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, so I thought that whenever there is an opportunity, I should grab it.”

The five-year term of Pakistan’s Parliament is set to end on August 12, and the ruling coalition government is preparing for the upcoming elections.

According to the provisions of the Constitution, if the National Assembly is dissolved before completing its term, general elections are required to be held within 60 days. However, if the Assembly is dissolved earlier, the period can be extended up to 90 days.

As per “Express Tribune” newspaper, on August 9, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif will send a notification to President Arif Alvi to dissolve the National Assembly. According to the Constitution, as soon as the President signs the notification, the Assembly will stand dissolved.

Pakistan prime minister Shahbaz sharif twitter

The report mentioned that if for any reason the President does not sign the notification, the Assembly will automatically dissolve 48 hours after the Prime Minister’s notification is received.

During the dinner event, Sharif informed the leaders of coalition parties that the ruling party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has finalized discussions within the party, and on Friday, the Prime Minister will begin the final round of talks with coalition partners on the modalities of forming the government. It is expected to take at least three days for the process.

An online meeting with coalition partners is also expected to be held on Friday to discuss the modalities.