Will Imran Khan take oath on Pakistan’s Independence day?

Pakistan’s new Prime Minister, Imran Khan, 65, has expressed his desire to take an oath of the PTI on the independence day of the country, on August 14th said a media report. As you know Pakistan’s election results are out. Imran Khan’s Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) emerged as the single largest party in the July 25th elections this year. The party has won 116 National Assembly seats out of the contested 270 parliamentary constituencies.

Imran Khan’s desire in Law Minister’s statement –

Earlier on July 30th, Imran Khan had announced that he would take the oath on August 11th. As the party ensured an acquaintance of enough seats in the lower house to form a majority government through a coalition. “It is my and caretaker prime minister retired Justice Nasirul Mulk’s desire, that the oath-taking of the new prime minister should take place on August 14th 2018″, caretaker Law Minister Ali Zafar told Dawn on Friday.

The minister has revealed a tentative schedule of the National Assembly formation. He said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was already on board. As ECP already made necessary arrangements required to hold the prime minister’s election on the desired date. Zafar told that a fresh session of the assembly could be called on August on 11th or 12th.

Maiden NA session likely in 2nd week of August –

“If the new session is held on August 11, the election of the prime minister will take place on August 14th. And on the same day President Mamnoon Hussain will administer the oath to the new prime minister,” Zafar added. If the NA session will take place on August 11, the same day the new members will administer the oath. He says that first the ballot papers for the elections for the NA speaker and deputy speaker will get print, as their elections may take place on August 13. And the next day the election of the prime minister may take place. However, if the National Assembly session was called on August 12, the election of the prime minister would be held on August 15.

“We wanted that the new prime minister should take his oath on Independence Day. So that the new government can start its functioning with full national fervour and commitment to bring progress to the country,” he said.

ECP further Guidelines –

Meanwhile, successful candidates of the July 25 general elections will have to submit returns of their election expenses on Saturday. Moreover, ECP will issue the fixed deadline for the filing of returns and a notification, the following day. Independent candidates will get three days to join any party as per their desire. Similarly, for seats reserved for women and minorities, the ECP will wait for three days. The caretaker law minister says that as per the Constitution, the first session of the National Assembly will get summon within 21 days after the general election. He said it was necessary to fulfil this obligation by August 15.

The newly-elected prime minister would take the oath after the election. Then after the job of the caretaker Prime Minister and his cabinet would be over. Moreover, the new government will get the power, under constitutional provisions.

The minister said the ECP was completing legal formalities, including consolidation of election results. Also recorded the collection of returns of election expenditures from the winning candidates. The ECP after giving time to independent candidates to join a political party or stay independent would issue parties position in the assembly, Zafar said. Also after the commission, ECP would issue a list of winning candidates on the reserved seat for women and minorities. 

Komal Sinha: