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Pakistan president's November date for polls but when will elections take place
Pakistan Elections: General elections are scheduled to be held in Pakistan within 90 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly.
Pakistan president Arif Alvi unilaterally proposed November 6 as the date for the general elections in a letter written to the chief election commissioner. Citing Article 48(5) of the Constitution, he said that it "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". Hence, "in terms of Article 48(5), the general election to the National Assembly should be held by the 89th day of the date of dissolution of the National Assembly, i.e. Monday, 6th day of November 2023”.
The development comes two days after the country's president met caretaker law minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam to discuss the elections. General elections are scheduled to be held in Pakistan within 90 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly, which was prematurely dissolved on August 9.
The ECP already announced to complete delimitation by November 30 and then follow up with elections. Though no timeframe has been announced yet.
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Earlier, Pakistan’s chief election commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja declined an invitation by the president for a meeting to set a date for the general elections. The head of the state has no role in determining the poll date as per the new law, he asserted saying, “It is imperative to point out that Section 57 of the Elections Act had been amended by Parliament on June 26, empowering the ECP to announce the date or dates for the general elections. Where the president dissolves the National Assembly, at his discretion, as provided in Article 58(2) read with Article 48(5) of the Constitution then he has to appoint a date for the general elections. However, if the assembly is dissolved on the advice of the prime minister or by afflux of time as provided in Article 58(1) of the Constitution, then the commission understands and believes that the power to appoint a date or dates for elections rests exclusively with the Commission.”
He said the ECP was taking its responsibility of holding general elections in the country “very seriously” underscoring the delimitation of constituencies.
