Pak: President Alvi's proposed election date 'under pressure', says former opposition leader Raja Riaz
Sep 15, 2023
Islamabad [Pakistan], September 15 : Following the Pakistan President Arif Alvi's suggestion on election date, former opposition leader in National Assembly (NA) Raja Riaz said that President suggested the elections' date 'under pressure', reported ARY News.
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja called on Raja Riaz to matter related to the general elections schedule.
However, Riaz emphasized that the President Alvi did not announce the poll date, rather suggested the date, reported ARY News.
He further said that the general elections are expected to be held in February mid 2024, however, the ECP has not announced the poll date yet.
President Arif Alvi on Wednesday, in a letter to a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, proposed November 6 as the date of national elections, Dawn reported.
In the letter, President Alvi said he had dissolved the National Assembly on the Prime Minister’s advice on August 9.
The President’s advice to the CEC comes against the backdrop of divided opinions among stakeholders on the time frame for elections.
He also cited Article 48(5) of the Constitution, which he said “empowers and mandates” the president ‘to appoint a date not later than 90 days from the date of the dissolution, for the holding of a general election to the Assembly’.
The president recalled in the letter that “in an endeavour to fulfil the constitutional obligations”, the chief election commissioner was invited for a meeting to devise the modalities of implementing the constitutional intent and mandate, Dawn reported.
“But in his reply, the CEC “took a contrary view that as per the scheme of the Constitution and framework of electoral laws, it was the domain of the election commission, and following the publication of last preceding census on August 7, duly notified delimitation of constituencies was in progress, a mandatory requirement stipulated by Article 51(5) of the Constitution and section 17 of the Elections Act, 2017”, Dawn quoted the letter.
