ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Dr. Arif Alvi held a meeting on Monday with the caretaker Law Minister, Ahmad Irfan Aslam, for consultations regarding the upcoming general elections in Pakistan.
It was the president’s second meeting with the law minister in a week, held at Aiwan-i-Sadr in Islamabad.
The consultation process with good intent will prove to be positive for democracy, Arif Avli was quoted as saying in a statement posted on X, a social media platform formerly Twitter.
During the meeting, according to reports, President Alvi mentioned the presidential authority regarding the announcement of the general election date. However, the law minister reiterated that it is the prerogative of the electoral body to announce the election date.
The law minister referred to an amendment in the Election Act regarding the announcement of the election date, stating that if the President announces a date, the Election Commission can reject it.
This meeting follows a previous one in which President Alvi stressed the need to hold elections within 90 days of the National Assembly’s dissolution. During that meeting, the President appreciated the Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar’s statement that the interim government would abide by the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s judgment on this matter.
The meeting occurs amid a standoff between President Alvi and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over who has the authority to decide the final date for general elections in Pakistan.
In August, the Ministry of Law informed President Alvi that he has no role in the announcement of the election date “following the amendment in the Elections Act.” The law ministry clarified that the right to announce the election date lies with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Election Commission Response to President on Elections Date
This development followed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja’s response to President Alvi’s letter, stating that participating in a meeting to set an appropriate date for general elections would be of “scant importance” after changes to the election law.
The President had written to CEC Sikandar Raja Sultan, inviting him for a meeting regarding holding general elections in the country. CEC Raja had pointed out that Section 57 of the Elections Act had been amended, empowering the commission to “announce the date or dates for the general elections.”
CEC Raja also highlighted the importance of delimitation of constituencies after the approval of the digital census as a foundational step toward holding the polls.
