Islamabad (Web Desk): President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday advised Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa (KP) Governor Haji Ghulam Ali to implement the verdict of the Supreme Court (SC) regarding the holding of general election in the province.
According to a statement by the President’s Office, the KP governor called on President Alvi at the Aiwan-e-Sadr and discussed matters related to the holding of general elections.
During the meeting, the matter of election was discussed in light of Article 224 (2) of the Constitution of Pakistan and the order of the honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) dated March 1, 2023.
"The president advised Ali to implement the apex court’s order in letter and spirit wherein it had been directed that the KP governor, after consultation with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), forthwith appoint a date for the holding of the general election to the provincial assembly to avoid any complication as almost a period of two weeks had already passed," the statement said.
The president emphasized the need for upholding the Constitution and holding general elections within the given time period.
He said the election had been mandated by the Constitution, further affirmed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, and was essential for strengthening parliamentary democracy in the country.
On March 1, the SC had ruled that the elections to the Punjab and KP assemblies should be held within the stipulated period of 90 days. It had, however, allowed the ECP to propose a poll date that deviates from the 90-day deadline by the “barest minimum”, in case of any practical difficulty.
It had also held that President Alvi and the KP governor will fix dates for Punjab and KP assemblies, respectively, in consultation with the ECP.
Later, the ECP, in its letter to President Alvi, had recommended that the polls for the provincial assembly in Punjab can be held between April 30 — May 07.
On March 3, the president had approved April 30 as the date for holding Punjab Assembly elections but the date for polls in KP is still to be decided.