Hours after the Election Fee of Pakistan (ECP) wrote a letter to him suggesting doable ballot dates, President Dr Arif Alvi introduced on Friday that elections in Punjab will probably be held on April 30.
“The president introduced the date [for elections in Punjab] after contemplating dates proposed by the Election Fee of Pakistan. ECP had proposed a ballot date between April 30 and Might 7, 2023, for holding basic elections of the Provincial Meeting of Punjab, and had additional steered holding elections ideally on Sunday,” an announcement launched by the President’s Secretariat mentioned.
Earlier immediately, the electoral physique had written a letter to the president proposing dates between April 30 and Might 7 for the elections.
“The Election Fee has despatched a letter to the president in gentle of the choice of the Supreme Court docket of Pakistan, during which the dates for holding the elections in Punjab have been steered between April 30 and Might 7, 2023,” an ECP press launch, a duplicate of which is offered with Daybreak.com, mentioned.
It said that the fee was ready to fulfil its constitutional and authorized obligation as soon as the date for elections was chosen by the president.
The press launch additional mentioned that the ECP has written a letter to the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stating that the electoral physique was ready for his response concerning the date for polls within the province.
The announcement comes two days after the Supreme Court docket ruled that the elections to the Punjab and KP assemblies ought to be held throughout the stipulated interval of 90 days. It, nevertheless, allowed the ECP to suggest a ballot date that deviates from the 90-day deadline by the “barest minimal”, in case of any sensible problem.
It additionally held that President Alvi and the KP governor will repair dates for Punjab and KP assemblies, respectively, in session with the ECP.
‘A victory for the Constitution’
In a video message on Twitter, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that his party has welcomed the electoral body’s announcement and called it a “step in the right direction”.
“We believe that the ECP took the right step in light of the SC’s order,” he said, elaborating that the apex court had said in its Wednesday’s order that the president and ECP could go beyond the 90-day period of holding polls but it had also used the word “bare minimum”.
“We congratulate the public. This is a victory for the PTI, the nation and the Constitution.”
Punjab, KP election limbo
In a mammoth public gathering in November last year, former prime minister Imran Khan had announced that his party would disassociate itself from the “current corrupt political system” by quitting the two provincial assemblies where PTI was in power.
Despite several obstacles put up by the coalition government, the Punjab and KP assemblies were dissolved on Jan 14 and Jan 18, respectively. Underneath the regulation, the elections are to be held inside 90 days after the dissolution of assemblies.
Meaning April 14 and April 17 have been the deadlines for holding basic elections to Punjab and KP assemblies, however the two governors as an alternative of setting dates for elections after receiving the proposal from the ECP had advised the fee to seek the advice of stakeholders.
Chief secretaries and inspectors-general of the 2 provinces throughout conferences with the ECP had mentioned they have been wanting police drive and talked of terrorism threats, making out a case for laying aside elections.
The finance division had additionally expressed its incapability to supply funds and the inside ministry told the ECP that the military and civil armed forces is not going to be out there.
On Feb 17, President Alvi had invited CEC Raja for an pressing assembly concerning consultations on election dates however the ECP instructed him he had no role within the announcement of dates for basic elections to provincial assemblies and the fee was conscious of its constitutional obligation on this regard.
Subsequently, the president unilaterally introduced April 9 because the date for holding basic elections for the Punjab and KP assemblies.
The transfer drew sharp criticism from his political opponents, who accused him of appearing like a PTI employee whereas the ECP mentioned it might announce the ballot schedule solely after the “competent authority” fixes the date.
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