Islamabad: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) government on Friday midnight completed its five-year tenure.
Following this, the caretaker government will take over and will rule until the general elections, which is slated to take place on July 25.
The caretaker prime minister, whose responsibility is to ensure that the elections are held in a transparent manner, is appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the opposition leader.
Former Chief Justice of Pakistan Nasir-ul-Mulk was on Monday named as the caretaker Prime Minister by the leader of opposition Khursheed Shah and Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Geo TV reported.
“His role as a caretaker Prime Minister will be in favour of the country and the democratic process”, Abbasi told the media on Monday.
Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain would administer the oath to Justice Nasir on Friday.
With this, the 14th Pakistan National Assembly was dissolved at midnight. Also, the tenures of the Punjab and Balochistan assemblies ended tonight. Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies completed their five-year tenure on May 28, Geo TV reported.
Before the National Assembly was dissolved, a farewell session was held. Abbasi held meetings with his cabinet ministers and other officials.
Addressing the last session of the National Assembly, Abbasi said that all problems existing in the country could only be resolved by a democratic government.
He also stressed on the need for ensuring free and fair elections for strengthening democracy in Pakistan.
Following this, a contingent of Pakistan Armed Forces will present a guard of honour to Abbasi on Friday morning.
It is pertinent to know that for the first time in Pakistan’s electoral history, a national government completed its full five-year term two times (since 2008) uninterrupted.
During the five-year tenure of the National Assembly, a total of 56 sessions have been held since June 1, 2013. Also, 12 joint sessions of the Pakistan Parliament were also held, according to Daily Pakistan.
A total of six federal budgets were passed in the National Assembly. Further, a total of 189 bills and 136 Acts of Parliament were passed in the last five years.
Some of the important bills passed are – Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (FATA-KP) merger bill, The Transgender Persons (Protection and Rights) Act, 2018, the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Amendment) Act, 2017, the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, 2017, the Hindu Marriage Act, 2016, the Constitution (Twenty-first Amendment) Act, 2015 and the Protection of Pakistan Act, 2014, as reported by APP.
The five-year tenure of the PML-N government suffered major setbacks when former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Pakistan Supreme Court from the post in July last year, for his family’s involvement in the Panama Papers leak case.
The country’s apex court had asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file references against the Sharif family, in connection with the corruption cases against them. Subsequently, a Joint Investigative Team (JIT) was formed last year to probe the allegations on them.
In February, Sharif was disqualified from the post of PML-N party chief by the country’s top court, saying all decisions made by him from now on stood “null and void.”
In April, the top court once again took on Sharif, barring the three-time Pakistan Prime Minister and former general secretary of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Jahangir Khan Tareen from contesting elections for the rest of their lives. (ANI)