On Tuesday, the government provided two significant insights into the anticipated political landscape.
The Information Minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb, confirmed that the current assemblies would be dissolved before their term ends, indicating an interim caretaker government will be in place for at least 90 days.
Earlier in a press conference, Minister Aurangzeb had already stated the Prime Minister’s plan to leave the government before the termination of the current assemblies’ term. The government, she said, would then be transferred to a caretaker setup determined after discussions with coalition partners.
Controversy Surrounding Next Elections Based on Latest Census
The Prime Minister stated that the forthcoming elections would be based on the most recent census. In an interview, he reiterated the plan for elections to reflect the digital census conducted earlier in the year. Once consolidated, the census results will be presented to the Council of Common Interests (CCI), which includes the chief ministers of all four provinces. This has led to tension among his allies. The PPP is not pleased with the new census-based elections, while the MQM-P demands polls according to the new count.
However, the decision has sparked concerns about potential election delays and requires a constitutional amendment for any seat number alteration following the census results publication. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), despite expressing its inability to hold general polls based on the new census, will conduct a fresh delimitation of constituencies after the government approves the results. This stirred worries among the PPP leaders, demanding prompt elections this year. Additionally, the Minister of State for Poverty Alleviation, Faisal Karim Kundi, expressed his party’s reservations on the new census, declaring they would never accept elections based on it. Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar also mentioned a probable delay of at least 90 days if elections were to be held under the new census.
