PPP says slight extension won’t make significant difference.
Party proposes allowing assemblies to complete full terms.
PM, opposition leader to make decision: PPP secretary general.
ISLAMABAD: As the government gears up for the next general elections, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) — a key member of the ruling alliance — has opposed the dissolution of assemblies ahead of the end of their constitutional terms, The News reported Saturday.
The party, which has proposed that the assemblies be dissolved on August 8, has once again shared a proposal to allow the National Assembly and the provincial assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan to complete their full terms.
“Dissolving the assemblies just a few days before the end of their term will not convey a positive message. The slight extension of 30 days will not make a significant difference,” PPP Secretary General Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari said in a statement issued on Friday.
Bokhari said that the assembly members had taken their oaths on August 13, 2018; therefore, the elections should be held on the same date when the five-year term is completed.
He further suggested that general elections in the country should be conducted by October 12.
Bokhari added that all political parties and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) were well aware of when the government’s term is concluding.
According to the Constitution, the ECP is always prepared to conduct elections within 60 days after the completion of the term.
Regarding the caretaker government, Bokhari said that the prime minister and the opposition leader will make the decision.
“If they fail to agree on a name, the matter will be referred to the parliamentary committee.”
Bokhari also mentioned that PPP Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari are part of the cabinet, and the prime minister will consult with the party leadership regarding the caretaker government.