Is it election season? Pakistan leader moves to disband parliament, his jailed nemesis seeks release

By MUNIR AHMED
Associated Press

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s prime minister says he is moving toward dissolving parliament, starting a possible countdown to a general election by mid-November. This year there’s a twist, though, in the election timeline. A delay until the spring is possible if Pakistan’s election commission opts for redistricting ahead of an election, based on the results of a recent census. The dissolution plan, presented Wednesday to the legislature, came as the prime minister’s chief political rival, Imran Khan, fought to overturn a corruption conviction and three-year prison term. The conviction effectively removed Khan from the upcoming election campaign. An Islamabad court reserved decision Wednesday and did not set a new hearing day.