[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text dp_text_size=”size-4″]While the subject was still pending, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Sunday rejected to meet with President Dr. Arif Alvi to discuss the schedule for elections to the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies.
According to a letter from the ECP, the chief election commissioner was unable to meet with the president because the matter was still pending before several judicial forums. The letter also stated that the commission would make a final decision regarding the consultation with the president at its meeting on Monday (today).
A letter from President Alvi inviting CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja to an urgent meeting was forwarded to the commission for consideration, according to a letter to the president’s secretary signed by ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan.
“The commission after deliberation has directed the undersigned to convey that the commission is well aware of its constitutional and legal obligations and has already conveyed its response to the earlier letter, dated February 8, 2023 explaining the complete background,” the letter read.
It pointed out that Article 105, read with Article 112 of the Constitution, provides the procedure for announcement of poll date in case of dissolution of the provincial assemblies.
The letter said that the commission had addressed the governors of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to request that they announce the date as they had not done so when dissolving the provincial legislatures of those two states.
It also states that the commission convened a consultative meeting with the governor of Punjab on February 14 to discuss the election date in accordance with the Lahore High Court (LHC) ruling from the previous month, which was dated February 10. The governor, however, decided against providing a date and instead chose to pursue legal means.
The letter states that the commission also submitted an application to the LHC seeking additional clarification and that it also appealed the decision internally on the grounds that the procedure was flawed.
Similarly, three writ petitions have been filed in the Peshawar High Court (PHC), seeking directions for appointing a date for holding general elections to the provincial assembly. It stressed that the Constitution does not empower the Election Commission to appoint the election date in case of dissolution of a provincial assembly by the governor or due to afflux of time as provided in Article 112(1).
“For the subject matter at hand, due to the reasons stated above and matter being sub judice at various judicial fora, regrettably the commission may not be able to enter into a process of consultation with the office of the president,” the letter read.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
