Constitutional experts argue: Caretaker setup bound to hold elections on date set by President

The caretaker setup is constitutionally bound to hold the general elections on the date set by the President of Pakistan, said constitutional experts while talking to Business Recorder.
Former Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan, Kanwar Mohammad Dilshad, referred to section 11 of the People's Representation Act of 1976, which stipulates: "As soon as the President makes an announcement of the date or dates on which the polls shall be taken place, the Election Commission shall, by notification in the official Gazette, call upon a constituency to elect a representative or representatives".
Dilshad added that the President can convene a meeting of the four chief ministers to build a consensus for the dissolution of the provincial and federal assemblies on the same date. However, if there is disagreement among the chief ministers, the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan can dissolve the assemblies and hold the elections for both national and provincial assemblies on the same date, he added.
Sources within the PPP said that the party leadership is seriously contemplating holding elections in May, as load shedding, which may impact negatively the PPP candidates, would not peak by that time. They added that the party leadership is cognisant of the fact that some past mistakes coupled with significant load shedding prior to the elections may cost the party dearly.
The PPP sources were optimistic that elections would be held by the first week of May, with the conspiracy mongers hell-bent to delay elections unlikely to succeed in their objective. The Supreme Court will not validate any unconstitutional step, they said, adding that if any undemocratic force emerges with an agenda aimed at delaying the polls for one reason or the other, it will be struck down by the apex court in one go. When asked about the validity of concerns shown by the top PPP leaders such as Mian Raza Rabbani and Law Minister Farooq H Naek, experts said that their statements are meant to discourage the elements trying to pave the way for the entrance of undemocratic forces.
"It's psychological warfare [and] nothing else. The PPP knows election at this stage is a must, when the country is engulfed with crises both internal and external, it cannot afford any delay in elections," Dilshad maintained.