Pakistan's Ex-PM Imran Khan arrest: PM Shehbaz Sharif set to dissolve Parliament, National assembly on August 9
Also read: Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan arrested after being sentenced to 3 years jail in Toshakhana case While Pakistan has until mid-November to conduct the election, revising voter lists and redrawing constituencies may cause delays of anywhere between two to six months. This potential delay could favour Sharif's ruling PML-N and allied political groups amid Khan's imprisonment for concealing state gift proceeds as Khan topped opinion polls.
He was picked up on August 5 and sent to a jail at the outskirts of the capital Islamabad. Khan's arrest received a muted response compared to previous incidents of unrest in May, which led to widespread protests and attacks on state-owned property and military installations.
Khan's party has reported arrests of supporters amid sporadic protests after calling for peaceful demonstrations. Also read: Pakistan: ‘Driver delivered me box, cops harassed his family to confess…’, Imran Khan on drugs supply Investors reacted calmly to the recent developments, with the nation's dollar bonds showing gains in early Asian trading on Monday.
Postponing elections could also offer time for a caretaker administration to fulfil pledges to the International Monetary Fund for a loan to address the challenges of record inflation and borrowing costs impacting Pakistan's economy. An interim prime minister is expected to be appointed on August 8 or 9, although disagreements persist among Sharif and his allies regarding the candidates.
During the rally in Punjab, Sharif reiterated that his elder brother, Nawaz Sharif, currently in self-exile in London since 2019, will become Pakistan's next leader if their party PML-N secures the election. Analysts and commentators widely believe that Nawaz plays a
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