By Aamir Latif
KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Thursday that his government will dissolve next month and that the country's administration will be handed over to a caretaker setup, paving the way for a general election in October.
Sharif's televised address to the nation and announcement of the caretaker government came three months before the general elections in October.
The National Assembly's five-year term ends on August 13, 2018. The National Assembly first elected Imran Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), as prime minister on August 18, 2018, but removed his government through a no-confidence vote in April last year and then elected Sharif to the coveted position.
According to the country's Constitution, the lower house is elected for a five-year term, and before new elections, an apolitical setup is installed with the mandate to hold fresh elections.
Sharif said he was given the “sacred responsibility” of running the country by the nation as the prime minister in April last year. “We will return this responsibility in August 2023 to the caretaker government,” he maintained.