Pakistan’s parliament is dissolved to pave way for elections as Imran Khan seeks release from prison

By MUNIR AHMED
Associated Press

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s president has dissolved the National Assembly, or lower house of parliament, a first step in the countdown to a general election by mid-November. This year there’s a twist, however, in the election timeline. A delay until the spring is possible if Pakistan’s election commission opts for redistricting ahead of the vote, based on the results of a recent census. The dissolution plan, presented Wednesday to the legislature, came as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s chief political rival, Imran Khan, is fighting to overturn a corruption conviction and a three-year prison term. The conviction effectively removed Khan from the upcoming election campaign. An Islamabad court reserved decision Wednesday on Khan’s case and did not set a new hearing date.