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On Thursday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rebuffed President Arif Alvi’s doubts about the electoral watchdog’s commitment to conducting the next general elections in January. The President, during an interview with a private TV channel a day earlier, expressed skepticism about the possibility of general elections occurring in January 2024.
In the interview, President Alvi revealed that he had written to the ECP proposing a resolution to the election date matter, but received a response from them asserting that it was unnecessary.
President Alvi emphasized that, even if he had not embarked on the Hajj pilgrimage, he would not have endorsed the amendment made in the Elections Act 2017, as he believed it to be in violation of the Constitution. He pointed out that Rule 57/1 had been modified in the act, but he refused to sign it. Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, who was acting as the President in Alvi’s absence during Hajj, signed the Election Act amendments.
Also Read: Is President Alvi Planning A Meeting Between Imran Khan And Nawaz Sharif?
The rule, known as the Notification of Election Programme, stipulates that “The President shall announce the date or dates of the general elections after consultation with the Commission.”
In response to the President’s remarks, the ECP issued a statement vehemently rejecting any suggestions of a delay in the 2024 elections and reiterated its previous position on the matter.
The ECP also provided an update on the progress of the delimitation process, confirming that it had been completed and was now in the second stage of scrutiny, addressing objections, which would be finalized on October 27, 2023.
The ECP assured that the final list of constituencies would be published by November 30, 2023, and the official schedule for the 2024 elections would follow shortly thereafter. The electoral watchdog emphasized that there was no uncertainty about this timeline.
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