Assemblies can be dissolved before August 13: Rana Sanaullah

• Sanaullah says early dissolution will "facilitate" ECP.
• Interior minister claims PML-N all for on-time elections.
• Qamar Zaman Kaira says polls will be in 60-90 days.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said Monday the assemblies could be dissolved earlier than the scheduled date of August 13 to "facilitate" the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

"If the assemblies get dissolved on August 11 instead of August 13, the ECP will get more time to hold elections," he said while speaking on Geo News programme' Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath' in response to a question about the ruling party looking to delay elections till November.

He asserted that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and its supremo, Nawaz Sharif, were clear that assemblies should be dissolved and elections held on time.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had dissolved the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in January, while the legislatures in Sindh and Balochistan, as well as, the National Assembly, are yet to be dissolved.

The anchorperson then asked the minister whether the intention behind delaying the dissolution of the assemblies was to "facilitate the ECP or politics" so that verdicts were issued in cases against the PTI chief and Nawaz got time for the election campaign after his expected return before the polls.

Sanaullah said: "I don't think the difference of 20 to 30 days makes much of a difference. We have been managing matters according to constitutional requirements."

Sanaullah's statement comes as the final 30-day countdown to the end of the current parliament's term and the government's tenure is set to begin this week, and the term of the National Assembly, along with the provincial assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan, is set to expire on August 12.

Following the dissolution of the assemblies, a caretaker setup will take over government affairs in Islamabad, Karachi, and Quetta.

Similar interim administrations are already in place in Lahore and Peshawar since the dissolution of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies months ahead of their term end in January.

However, he added that the 90-day period did not mean the ECP would hold elections on the 90th day but could do so at any date of its choosing, "be it after 64 days or 72 days".

Nevertheless, he assured: "The assemblies will be dissolved after completing their term, after which the caretaker set-up will come and elections will be held in accordance with the Constitution."

Separately, Advisor to Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira has said nowadays, everyone is wondering whether would be held on time or not.

Addressing the participants of the inauguration ceremony of the Lalamusa to Nonanwala Road here on Monday, he said the elections would be held within 60 to 90 days.

There is no need to be a victim of any kind of confusion, he said.

"For several months, I have been trying to hold dialogue for the better future of Pakistan and save the country from crises. The PPP consulted all parties and decided that the elections will be held on the same day all over the country," he said.