President Arif Alvi’s recent remarks questioning the timing of general elections prompted the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to clarify that there would be no delay in the scheduled January polls.
During an interview with private television channel, President Alvi expressed doubts about the feasibility of holding the elections in January, citing various efforts he made, including proposing a cut-off date of Nov 6, which was deemed beyond his authority by the law ministry.
In response, the ECP issued a press release affirming its commitment to the scheduled elections and dispelling any notion of potential postponement. The commission emphasized completing the delimitation process and announcing the election schedule accordingly.
Notably, the ECP had earlier ruled out elections in the current year, citing the necessity of fresh constituency delimitation. As per constitutional mandates, elections must be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the National Assembly.
Despite the ECP’s announcement of January 2024 as the election month, political parties have expressed varying opinions. While the JUI-F has raised concerns about weather conditions, the PML-N has supported the ECP’s decision. The PPP and PTI have called for an immediate announcement of the election date and assurance of a fair electoral environment. Meanwhile, the caretaker government remains optimistic about the impending election date announcement.
