The South Asian country has been in political turmoil since Mr Khan was ousted in April last year. He was recently sentenced to three years in prison for corruption and banned from politics for five years by the country's Election Commission.
Supporters of Mr Khan protested against the arrest. Photo: AP
A statement from President Arif Alvi's office said he had dissolved parliament at the request of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. "This country cannot progress until we have unity," Mr Sharif said.
A new interim prime minister must be announced within three days of dissolving parliament, and elections must be held within 90 days. However, the outgoing government has warned that the elections could be delayed until next year.
The country’s economy remains in crisis despite a new bailout package from the International Monetary Fund, as inflation soars and unemployment hits record highs. Factories are shutting down due to a lack of foreign currency to buy raw materials.
“Economic decisions are always difficult and often unpopular, requiring a government with a long enough tenure to be able to implement them effectively,” said Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, president of the Pakistan Institute for Transparency and Legislative Development.
Hoang Nam (according to AFP)
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