According to a notification issued by President Dr. Arif Alvi’s office, Imran Khan will continue to serve as Pakistan’s prime minister until a caretaker premier is appointed under Article 224-A(4) of the Constitution.
Article 224(A) governs the procedure for appointing a caretaker prime minister in the event that the leader of the house and the leader of the opposition cannot agree on a caretaker prime minister’s name.
“The incumbent Prime Minister and Chief Minister shall continue in office until the caretaker Prime Minister and caretaker Chief Minister are appointed, as the case may be.”
Previously, the Cabinet Secretariat issued a notification stating that Imran Khan had “resigned with immediate effect from the office of Prime Minister of Pakistan.”
However, Article 94 of the Constitution provides that the president “may request that the Prime Minister continue in office until his successor assumes the office of Prime Minister.”
These developments came after National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri disallowed the no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Imran, claiming it was part of a “foreign conspiracy” and violated Article 5 of the Constitution, which requires state loyalty.
While the opposition reeled in response to the government’s move, Prime Minister Imran appeared on television moments later to announce that he had advised the president to dissolve the NA and urged Pakistanis to prepare for new elections.
Shortly thereafter, the president dissolved the lower house of Parliament in accordance with Article 58 of the Constitution, which states: “The president shall dissolve the National Assembly upon the prime minister’s advice, and the National Assembly shall stand dissolved at the expiration of forty-eight hours after the prime minister’s advice.”
