ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President, Dr. Arif Alvi, has formally proposed November 6 as the date for the upcoming general elections in the country, a day before the constitutional period of 90 days ends.
In a letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, President Alvi cited the dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9, 2023, as the reason behind his recommendation, which falls just a day before the constitutional period of 90 days ends.
صدر مملکت ڈاکٹر عارف علوی کا چيف الیکشن کمشنر ، سکندر سلطان راجہ، کے نام خط
صدر مملکت نے 9 اگست کو وزیراعظم کے مشورے پر قومی اسمبلی کو تحلیل کیا، صدر مملکت pic.twitter.com/5W88oKxX62
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) September 13, 2023
President Alvi stated that he had dissolved the National Assembly on the advice of the Prime Minister, laying the groundwork for the upcoming electoral process.
The president cited Article 48(5) of the Constitution, which he asserted “confers upon and obligates the president to designate a date within 90 days from the date of the National Assembly’s dissolution for the scheduling of a general election to the Assembly.”
Consequently, as stated in the letter, “pursuant to Article 48(5), the general election for the National Assembly must take place by the 89th day following the dissolution of the National Assembly, namely, Monday, November 6th, 2023.”
The president recounted in the letter that, “in an effort to fulfill our constitutional responsibilities, I extended an invitation to the Chief Election Commissioner for a meeting to outline the strategies for executing the constitutional intent and mandate.”
However, in response, the Chief Election Commissioner adopted a contrary stance, contending that, “in accordance with the Constitutional framework and electoral laws, this falls under the jurisdiction of the Election Commission. Furthermore, the president maintained that the mandatory prerequisite outlined in Article 51(5) of the Constitution and Section 17 of the Elections Act, 2017, necessitating the notification of constituency delimitations following the publication of the most recent census on August 7th, was already in progress.”
Additionally, it was pointed out in the letter that the Ministry of Law shared the same perspective on this matter.
Pakistan’s Law Minister For Elections on Same Day
Earlier in the day, Caretaker Law Minister Ahmad Irfan Aslam stressed the importance of holding general elections for both the National and Provincial Assemblies on the same day. This move, he argued, would foster harmony among all the federating units of Pakistan and alleviate an unnecessary financial burden on the national exchequer.
Minister Aslam convened a meeting with provincial law ministers in Islamabad to discuss matters pertaining to the forthcoming elections. The meeting reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections in Pakistan, in line with the core principles of democratic governance.
During the meeting, all the law ministers unanimously agreed that the constitution should be interpreted as a whole and that the responsibility for the conduct of general elections and the announcement of the election date rests solely with the Election Commission of Pakistan.
In a collective voice, the Provincial Law Ministers emphasized the need for synchronizing the general elections for the National and Provincial Assemblies to promote unity among the federating units and to relieve financial pressure on the national treasury.
