ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will meet again today to review the feedback received from the Attorney General of Pakistan and other legal experts on the announcement of the election date by President Arif Alvi.
According to a report published in JEE News, the Election Commission will decide the way forward today with regard to the date of the provincial assembly elections given by the President.
According to the sources, Attorney General Barrister Shehzad Ata Elahi has informed the commission that the President cannot give the date of the election, but it is only a mandate given constitutionally to the provincial governors.
It is learned that the Attorney General visited the ECP Secretariat and presented his point of view before the forum.
Similarly, two legal experts were also consulted on the letter of President Dr. Arif Alvi, in which he unilaterally set the date of April 9 for the assembly elections of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which drew a strong response from the government. .
According to sources, the Election Commission has asked the Attorney General as well as the two experts to share their input or point of view in writing by (today) Thursday.
After getting their point of view, the Election Commission will meet on the same day.
In his letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, the President gave the date for the elections and asked the Election Commission to announce the election schedule immediately.
Alvi wrote the letter to Sikandar Sultan Raja hours after the commission wrote to him through its secretary that he would not be consulted on fixing the election dates.
Sources claimed that the Attorney General argued before the Election Commission that the Constitution was very clear and ordered the Governors to announce the dates of elections to the Provincial Assemblies.
Already, the ECP has taken this stand during its meeting on February 21 to discuss the presidential letter and said that the governors, not the president, can fix the election date.
However, before proceeding, the Commission decided to consult the Attorney General and two legal experts.
Awaiting approval of ECP ‘Competent Authority’
A brief statement from the ECP said that the commission has been and will continue to take all decisions without coming under any pressure as per law and constitution.
He also said that the ECP was ready to hold elections within 90 days, stressing that the constitution nowhere said that the date of elections should be given to the commission.
However, it said the commission is bound to announce the schedule and conduct the elections after the declaration by the “competent authority”.
