In January 2023 Imran Khan dissolved the two provincial assemblies his party controlled in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, in order to hold provincial elections, he judged he would win. He hoped this move would help build political momentum ahead of the national elections and prove the unpopularity of the ruling PDM coalition. The regional governors, who were chosen by the PDM government, did not set dates for the provincial elections, and the ECP did not start organising them saying they could not do so without the authorisation of the governors.
