Imran throws Punjab, K-P gauntlet PTI chief announces dissolution of two provincial assemblies on Dec 23 at Liberty Chowk address via video link

Date 17/12/2022

LAHORE:

Announcing his much-awaited final date to dissolve the two provincial assemblies where his party is at the helm of affairs, PTI chief Imran Khan on Saturday revealed that the party will dissolve assemblies in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on December 23 (Friday), staking his hard-earned political ground on a bid to trigger early elections.

"We will sacrifice both assemblies... we are sacrificing them for this nation... there will elections in 66 per cent of Pakistan," Imran announced.

The former prime minister -- flanked by Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi and K-P Chief Minister Mahmood Khan -- made the announcement during his address to party supporters and workers at Lahore's Liberty Chowk via video link from his residence in Zaman Park.

Imran said he had thoroughly consulted PTI lawyers before pulling off the provincial power play to spur polls and emphasised that the Constitution did not allow elections to be delayed beyond 90 days of an assembly’s dissolution.

Furthermore, against the backdrop of whisperings that the provincial chiefs would pour cold water on the ‘risky ambitions’, the PTI chief thanked the chief ministers for their cooperation and for "sacrificing" their respective governments for the "betterment of the country".

He then announced that his party would now be starting its election campaign.

Earlier in the day, the former premier held an important consultative meeting with the two chief ministers and other senior party leaders.

After the meeting, Elahi said that he returned Imran’s “mandate of the Punjab Assembly back to him”. He said that the politics of Imran’s rivals “has been defeated”, adding that “rumour mongers will continue to fail as before”.

It is pertinent to note that the clear deadline, earlier than scheduled, from Imran – who took considerable time in consultations before announcing it – came after days of reported parleys to bridge the thorny gulf between the government and the PTI failed to yield any wins.

The PTI chief had sprung the surprise to dissolve his provincial governments in an apparently proverbial ‘burn-the-boats’ decision last month at a Rawalpindi rally.

Historically, polls for the federal and provincial governments are held at the same time in a general election every five years. If the two provincial assemblies are dissolved earlier, separate polls would have to be held for them within 90 days, which could throw up legal problems.

Observers reckon that if the former prime minister manages to win elections of the two assemblies, the victory will pave a way for his return to office in the next general elections to be held in October 2023.