The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will officially announce the election results within 14 days after the polling; and the President of Pakistan would be required to summon the National Assembly within 21 days after polling for election of Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Prime Minister.
The President's role would then end subsequent to summoning the NA. The constitution does not allow him to invite any party, be it the largest or the second largest in a newly elected assembly, to form the government. According to 18th Constitutional Amendment, "the NA shall meet on the 21st day following the day on which a general election to the Assembly is held, unless sooner summoned by the President."
Constitutional experts told Business Recorder that even though there is no provision in the Constitution in which the President may invite any party to form the government yet it is his prerogative to choose the time that he summons the newly elected assembly, limited to 21 days only.
Experts further revealed that polling day is on May 11 and therefore the latest the President would be able to summon the assembly would be June 1. In other words in case no single party emerges as a clear winner, political parties would have up to a maximum of 21 days to form coalitions. In the first phase the newly elected members of the NA will elect Speaker and Duty Speaker of the House, while in the second phase, the members will elect the PM of the country.
Constitutional experts said the ECP was constitutionally bound to announce the results of general elections within 14 days after the polling day. The ECP will be violating the constitution if it delays announcing the results of general elections beyond the 14 days. According to Article 224(1) of the Constitution, "A general election to the NA or a Provincial Assembly shall be held within a period of 60 days immediately following the day on which the day on which the term of the Assembly is due to expire, unless the Assembly has been sooner dissolved, and the results of the election shall be declared not later than 14 days before that day."