Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that his coalition government would hand over power to an interim set-up before the completion of the term of the country’s National Assembly in August, according to media reports.
According to Pakistan's Express Tribune, Sharif told several public meetings in Lahore and Sialkot on Sunday that a “caretaker government” will be formed to run the affairs of the country till the election, which is yet to be announced.
The federal and provincial elections in Pakistan are expected to be held simultaneously in November, as per reports.
The last federal election in the South Asian nation took place in 2018 and witnessed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by Imran Khan, coming to power.
Sharif urged the Pakistani voters to keep the “facts before them” as they choose the country’s next government, as he railed against former Prime Minister Khan for the alleged “destruction of the national economy”.
He vowed that he would “honor” the mandate of the people.
Sharif Vows 'Turnaround' of National Economy
The PM said that if his Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) were elected to power, it would “turn around” the national economy and put the country on a “path to prosperity."
According to a report, Sharif's decision to step down before the expiry of the term came after holding consultations with his coalition ally the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), which is led by the country’s former President Asif Ali Zardari.
It is, however, unclear if Sharif will be the prime ministerial face of his alliance in the election, amid speculation of the return of his elder brother and former PM Nawaz Sharif.
The elder Sharif has been leading a life in exile in London since 2019 after the country’s top court disqualified him from running for PM’s office for a lifetime owing to corruption allegations.
“Nawaz Sharif Sahib will turn Pakistan into a progressive state if people provided him another opportunity to lead the country," Shehbaz Sharif was quoted as saying by Express Tribune.