Another PM-Zardari huddle amid talks over polls timeline

ISLAMABAD: Putting at rest the guessing game on the date of dissolution of the National Assembly, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb Tuesday clarified that no decision had yet been taken on the date of dissolution of the National Assembly.

Meanwhile, former president and President of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians Asif Ali Zardari and Chairman PPP and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari held a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and discussed the future strategy with regard to the upcoming elections, caretaker setup and dissolution of National Assembly as well as

Sindh Assembly and Balochistan Assembly. Earlier Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb took to her Twitter account to react to media reports and said the date of dissolution of the National Assembly had not yet been decided.

“The date will be decided in consultation with the PDM and coalition parties. The decision on the date of dissolution of the National Assembly will be formally announced,” she explained.

Media reports had suggested that the assembly would be dissolved early on August 8 before its term completes on August 12. The media has been reporting contradictory statements, quoting leaders of the ruling coalition parties on the timing of the general election.

Federal Minister for Commerce Naveed Qamar of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had recently said the assembly should be dissolved on August 8 to provide the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sufficient time to hold elections in November.

Whereas, another cabinet member belonging to the PPP had claimed that there had been no decision made by the party about the date of the dissolution of the assembly and that Naveed Qamar’s statement was his personal opinion or suggestion.

As per the law, general elections have to be conducted within 60 days if the legislature completes its mandated constitutional tenure of five years. However, in case of early dissolution, elections are held within 90 days of the date of dissolution.

Speculations have been making rounds ever since Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Sunday last he will “hand over the power” to the caretaker set-up next month before the completion of the assembly’s tenure.

He had reportedly said that “next month our government will complete its tenure, but we will leave before the completion of our tenure and an interim government will come in”.

It is speculated that the situation in relation to the date of dissolution will become clear within a few days.

In a later development, former president Asif Ali Zardari and Chairman PPP Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari held a meeting on Tuesday evening with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and discussed the future strategy with regard to upcoming elections, caretaker setup for the next elections and dissolution of the National Assembly as well as Sindh Assembly and Balochistan Assembly.

The prime minister was assisted in the meeting by Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. Sardar Ayaz Sadiq is the chairman of electoral reforms Parliamentary Committee that has completed its task and is likely to submit its report tomorrow (Thursday). This was the second meeting of former president Asif Ali Zardari with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a week’s time as the first meeting was held in Lahore last Saturday.

The sources also indicated that it was decided in the meeting that a joint meeting of the PDM and PPP, as well as heads of coalition partners, would be held within the next two days for deciding on a strategy for the dissolution of assemblies and for the caretaker setup. According to PM House sources, Senator Ishaq Dar suggested that these decisions should be made at the summit of the ruling alliance parties. The proposal was endorsed by all the participants, the sources said.

Another agenda of the huddle was to conclude the formula for picking up the caretakers. The PMLN was interested in bringing a political stalwart to head the office but the PPP argued against it and advocated considering some senior bureaucrat or former senior judge for the post of the caretaker chief executive. The sources indicated that both parties were in agreement that the National Assembly and the two provincial assemblies should be dissolved on August 9, three days before the mandated period is over. The final decision would be taken at the summit of the ruling alliance, the sources said. The meeting ended without any decision on seat adjustment and a schedule for dissolving the NA, Sindh, and Balochistan provincial assemblies. That question has been left to the provincial leadership of the two parties since they have a better picture of the ground situation, the sources added. Prime Minister Shahbaz and Asif Ali Zardari will have further discussions with their respective leaders in the light of Tuesday’s deliberations, the sources said.