Pakistan PM to dissolve Parliament on August 9 ahead of October elections

Colombo (News 1st) - Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Shariff told a meeting of his political allies that he will dissolve the National Assembly (lower house of parliament) on August 9 in preparation for scheduled October elections, Pakistani media reported Friday. A caretaker government would be appointed to govern the country until then.

Pakistan is preparing for parliamentary elections and polls in two of its four provinces - Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - after many months of violent confrontations between supporters of various political parties. A suicide bombing at a political rally last week killed 64 people.

The country is mired in a serious economic crisis. But the International Monetary Fund and several Middle Eastern nations have stepped in to ensure that the danger of a Sri Lanka-style bankruptcy does not happen, since the government approached donors and creditors at an early stage.

The dissolution will come three days short of the present government completing three years in office, after ousting then Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is now the Opposition Leader.