Pakistan Elections 2024: Here's Why President Alvi May Not Administer Oath Taking Ceremony of New PM

Islamabad – As top political parties in Pakistan struggle to form a government, the country's current President Dr Arif Alvi might not get a chance to administer the oath of the new prime minister. On Monday, a source close to the government told the Pakistani news outlet, The News International that the election of the Senate’s 53 members, chairman/deputy chairman and consequently election of the president of the country has to be conducted before March 8. The same date is the deadline for the new government in the National Assembly to elect their new Prime Minister. However, Alvi is obligated to summon the new government by February 29. 

The sources told the Pakistani news outlet that if the elections for the office of the president are held a week before the government select a premier, incumbent Arif Alvi will not be administering the oath-taking ceremony. Instead, a new president will conduct the ceremony. It is important to note that President Alvi belongs to Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, whose party members contested elections independently. 

What does the schedule look like? 

According to The News International, the members of the assemblies will have to submit their expense details by February 18 and the notification for the elected members will be issued on February 22. The first session of the Pakistan National Assembly could be held on February 26, while the provincial assemblies could be summoned on the same or the following day. Once the oaths of the assembly members are administered, they will become regular members of the respective houses. From here the process of Senate election will be initiated. According to The News International, the elections will take four days. As soon as the new Senators take the oath, the schedule for the president’s will commence. Simultaneously after National Assembly members take their oaths they have five days to elect speakers, deputy speakers and prime minister in case of National Assembly and chief ministers in the provincial assemblies. Hence, by the time a new Prime Minister takes the oath, Pakistan will have a new president. 

Another crucial aspect to note is the fact that President Arif Alvi declined to administer the oath-taking ceremony of Former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on August 14, 2022. The Chairman of the Senate had to perform the ceremony instead. Meanwhile, the caretaker prime minister and cabinet members will stay in their respective offices till the moment the new prime minister takes oath.