ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which was apparently in a state of decision paralysis with regard to general elections, has finally started contemplating upon setting January 28 next year as a cut-off date for general elections in the country.
Well-placed sources privy to the development told Business Recorder that the top electoral body headed by Sikander Sultan Raja, a pensioned bureaucrat of grade 22, proposed the date of January 28, 2024, during a meeting with ECP members on Friday, as the commission is going to submit a report to Supreme Court of Pakistan about holding general elections.
They said that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Raja along with other ECP members agreed that “January 28, 2024 (Sunday) could be the most appropriate date for elections” and the commission would inform the apex court about it in the next two-three days.
Elections to be held in last week of Jan, insists ECP
Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, earlier this week, during the apex court’s hearing on the issue of holding timely elections had observed that it was not possible to meet the 90-day deadline for holding general elections and lamented the lack of preparations of the petitioners.
The CJP’s remarks came as he is leading a three-member bench comprising himself, Justice Athar Minallah, and Justice Aminuddin Khan to hear the petitions filed by the Supreme Court Bar Association, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and others for holding general elections within the 90-day constitutional limit. A day ago, following an interview by President Dr Arif Alvi, who said the election might be delayed, the ECP out rightly rejected the impression of any delay in holding general elections in the country.
The ECP said that the schedule for the general elections would be announced immediately after the announcement of the delimitations, adding the first stage in creating fresh delimitations has already been completed and the second would be completed on October 27. “A final list will be issued by November 30,” it added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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