Amid suspense over poll date, caretaker PM Kakar calls Delimitation "constitutional exercise"

Islamabad [Pakistan], September 14 : Amidst speculation surrounding the announcement of the election date, Pakistan's Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar emphasized that the delimitation process is a "constitutional" exercise, The News International reported on Wednesday.
He also expressed hope that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would soon announce the election dates.
In an interview given to a private news channel, the caretaker PM reiterated that his government is fully prepared with regard to holding general elections and that the caretaker setup is only there to "assist and support" the electoral body in the polls.
The caretaker premier's endorsement of fresh delimitations comes as political parties remain divided over the issues of the election date and delimitation. The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) advocate holding elections within 90 days, while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) favors fresh delimitations—a view also supported by former president and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, The News International reported.
As per the ECP’s schedule, the electoral body will carry out fresh delimitations from September 8-October 7.
Commenting on the upcoming general elections, PM Kakar said that he hopes that the ECP would thoroughly look into the matter of holding free and fair polls as per the Constitution.
Meanwhile expressing his views on the prerogative to announce the election date, the interim prime minister put his weight behind the ECP. “The president has announced the polls date, whereas it is in fact the ECP’s prerogative”.
The prime minister’s remarks echoed the statement issued by the federal and provincial law ministers earlier in the day.
The meeting — attended by provincial law ministers Kanwar Dilshad (Punjab), Muhammad Omer Soomro (Sindh), Arshad Hussain Shah (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Amanullah Kanrani (Balochistan) — concluded that the conduct of general elections and announcement of election dates is the sole competence of the country's electoral authority, as per the Constitution, The News International reported.
However, in another development, President Arif Alvi — adding to the ongoing controversy surrounding the election date — suggested in a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja to hold the polls on November 6.
In his letter, the president stated: “In the light of Article 48(5) of the Constitution, he has the authority and mandate “to appoint a date not later than 90 days from the date of dissolution [of assemblies], for holding of a general election to the assembly.”
“In terms of Article 48(5) the general election to the National Assembly should be held by the eighty-ninth day of the date of dissolution of the National Assembly, i.e. Monday 6th Day of November 2023,” the letter also read.
Notably, the PML-N-led Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government dissolved the National Assembly on August 9, the News International reported.
However, the outgoing government in a Council of Common Interest (CCI) meeting had unanimously approved the 7th Population and Housing Census 2023.
According to Article 51 (5) of the Constitution, the seats of the National Assembly to each province and the federal capital shall be allocated on the basis of population as per the new census.
Following CCI's approval, the ECP on August 17 announced the schedule of new delimitations which exceeded the November 9th ‘90-day constitutional limit’, almost making sure that the elections are likely to be held post the 90-day mark, The News International reported.
If the elections are to be held within the 90-day limit, then the polls are due on November 9, 2023.