Elections date
ISLAMABAD: According to legal expert Shah Khawar, the Election Commission of Pakistan is expected to declare the election date on Wednesday (today), adhering to the boundaries set by the country’s constitution and legal framework.
He expressed this view during an interview with Aaj TV talk show hosted by Asma Shirazi.
Khawar was responding to questions regarding the election delay case, which the Supreme Court adjourned until November 2, after notifying the Election Commission and the federal government.
The petitions in this case call for the general elections in the country to be conducted within the constitutionally mandated 90-day timeframe.
The Election Commission of Pakistan had already declared that it would hold general polls in the last week of January 2024. However, the commission did not announce the exact date which raised doubts about upcoming elections.
Meanwhile, President of Pakistan Arif Alvi also claimed that elections would not be held in January next year, adding fuel to the fire that put ECP under pressure to announce the date of polls.
During a hearing on October 23, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa pointed out that the case could have been resolved promptly if it had been scheduled on time.
In recent times, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has repeatedly called for the Election Commission to announce the election date, citing the need to alleviate the prevailing “uncertainty.”
Last month, the Election Commission had stated that the elections would occur in the final week of January, falling short of specifying a precise date.
Meanwhile, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar reiterated that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has not taken any steps to restrict the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from participating in the upcoming general elections.
During a media interaction at Mayo Hospital in Lahore, the prime minister emphasized the importance of upholding legal constitutional provisions and ensuring a level playing field for all political entities during the electoral process.
Kakar assured that the ECP’s primary responsibility is to oversee free and fair elections, with the allocation of election symbols being the sole domain of the election commission.
Previously, the PTI had requested the ECP to release the written order of a judgment issued on August 30, granting the party the bat symbol for the upcoming elections. Barrister Ali Zafar, a central leader of the PTI, had urged the commission to promptly provide a detailed decision in line with the verbal order issued in August.
Kakar also underscored the ECP’s role as a constitutional body responsible for setting the date for the general elections, reiterating that the delimitation process is a constitutional requirement following the notification of census results.
