The assemblies would be dissolved at the end of their term, as stated by Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday in Sialkot, and the political parties within the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition will discuss a single candidate or seat adjustment strategy.
Asif, speaking at a local workers’ convention, emphasized that the upcoming leaders would be elected by the people.
He claimed that the current coalition administration had successfully run for 14 months and would be finishing its term in a month, and that they could have dissolved the assemblies immediately if they wanted to, but that doing so would have been economically disastrous.
He admitted that the country has a problem with people stealing gas and energy and warned that unless that stopped, peace would be impossible to achieve.
Up to 85% of electricity and gas in some places, he said, is obtained dishonestly.
The success of the no-confidence motion, Asif said, was due to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) not taking into account its allies.
He said that the person in question dissolved the assembly and gave up authority despite protests from his peers.
The PTI chief’s poor judgment exposed the plot to assault Pakistan Army installations, he said, making May 9 the worst day in Pakistan’s history.
Asif spoke on the recent sacrifices made for the country, including the funeral of a soldier’s son and the deaths of several soldiers and officers over the past six months.
He said the person who raised questions about the defense guarantee agency deserved to be punished for their political folly.
Even the establishment has made mistakes in its desire of power, as Asif pointed out, and the focus of Pakistani politics should not be on amassing personal power.
He made reference to the PDM leaders who had been arrested, emphasizing that whereas political workers had maintained their honor and dignity despite the difficulties they had faced, the PTI leaders were today avoiding responsibility.
He went on to say that the IMF’s representatives, who interact with the people of Pakistan, should think twice about their ties to the PTI’s fugitives and advertising.
Manzoor Hussain Wasan, a senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the chief minister of Sindh’s agriculture adviser, also made predictions on when assemblies would be dissolved and when general elections would be held.
General elections would be held in November rather than October, he said, and the assemblies would be dissolved sometime between August 8 and 10.
Wasan said that the scorching weather in October and the requirement for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to have enough time to prepare influenced the decision to hold the elections in November.
He reaffirmed the PPP’s commitment to holding elections on schedule and stressed the importance of the results accurately reflecting the will of the voters.
Wasan warned that along with the impending elections would come a purge, with many people suffering legal penalties. Some, he said, would be charged and sent to prison, while others might be exonerated.
