Pakistan To Hold General Election After 15 August Next Year: Minister

Pakistan's general election will be held after August 2023, according to Economic Affairs Minister Ayaz Sadiq.

Sadiq told reporters on Sunday, First, we will hold local government elections in April 2023 and then general elections will be held after August 15.”

The minister made the announcement on Sunday during a ceremony commemorating Quaid-e-birthday Azam's and Christmas, according to Geo News.

Concerning the dissolution of assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sadiq stated that if Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan desired to dissolve the assemblies, he should have done so immediately rather than announcing dates.

Sadiq said that he would fight his own battle and now he is looking to the establishment to save him and restore him to power, adding that Khan took massive loans during his tenure, which caused massive inflation in the country.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan previously stated that the PTI intended to dissolve the legislative in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the vote of confidence after the Lahore High Court (LHR) reinstated Elahi as Chief Minister after he assured that he would not dissolve the legislature, according to The News International.

According to the news report, he stated that the government will be forced to hold elections following the dissolution of both assemblies. He emphasised that the election delay, even after the PTI's move, “will not affect” the party.

Imran Khan predicted that elections would be held in April 2023. His statement comes a day after he stated that elections could take place in March or April. The coalition government led by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has repeatedly rejected the PTI's demand for snap elections, insisting that they would take place at the scheduled time.

According to media reports, the PTI and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) are negotiating the date of dissolution and seat adjustments before the elections. According to The News International, the PML-Q has repeatedly stated that they are awaiting Imran Khan's instructions on the date of dissolution.

According to The Express Tribune, the Lahore High Court (LHC) reinstated PML-Q leader Chaudhry Parvez Elahi as Punjab chief minister on Friday. The court's decision came after Elahi gave an undertaking to the court that if he is reinstated as Chief Minister of Punjab, he will not dissolve the provincial assembly.

According to the news report, the court also reinstated Punjab's cabinet in its ruling. According to The News International, the court issued the directives after a five-member bench heard Elahi's petition challenging Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman's orders to de-notify him as the provincial chief executive.

“The decision to dissolve the assemblies is final, Imran Khan's decision will be fully implemented,” Parvez Elahi tweeted shortly after his reinstatement. The imported government wishes to avoid the elections. We will present the imported government in the people's court, and the people will make the final decision, Elahi added.