Gilani may seek dissolution of Pakistan Parliament if coalition collapses

Islamabad, May 11 : Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza gilani and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Asif Ali Zardari are reported to be seriously thinking of dissolving the National Assembly if their coalition arrangement with Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) collapses.

Sources told The News that Gilani could opt use Article 58(1) of the 1973 Constitution, which provides him with the discretionary power to recommend the dissolution of Parliament if the ruling coalition collapses.

The sources said the party has discussed different options, including the dissolution of the National Assembly on the prime minister's advice in case of a break-up.

Zardari is reported to have informally said that he would not join hands with the Chaudhry Shujaat-led PML-Q.

Some PPP leaders say that it would be suicidal for the party to take this step at this stage.

A PML-N source, however, said Zardari could never commit the mistake of dissolving the assembly because in this case the people would think that he had put aside the interests of the party and the country and gained only personal benefits.

PPP spokesperson Farhatullah Babar when contacted said that it is a hypothetical question and that there was no need to get involved in hypotheses at this point in time.

Babar, however, believed the stakes are very high for the present democratic dispensation because for the first time there is a real opportunity to correct constitutional distortions, therefore, it was unlikely that the coalition would not fall apart.

ANI