Tariq Saeed Peshawar
As the Governor house Peshawar received Friday late night the Election Commission of Pakistan’s letter for announcing election date in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Governor Haji Ghulam Ali is likely to announce the date for the polls on Monday, March 6.
Haji Ghulam Ali has verified that he received the letter at 8 pm and could not open the letter as it was sent in the secretary’s name adding the secretary was on leave and once he comes back on Monday then he will open the letter and announce the date.
“The ECP’s letter to my principal secretary was received Friday at 8pm. Secretary is on leave and he will open the letter himself when he returns on Monday,” Governor Ali told media persons on Saturday.
While the announcement from President Alvi came after the Election Commission of Pakistan proposed dates for the election in the province in light of the Supreme Court verdict, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered the Election Commission to hold elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within 90 days.
Ghulam Ali said after reading the letter, the Election Commission of Pakistan will be consulted regarding the election date and whatever date is available the commission will hold elections on that date in light of the Supreme Court verdict.
Governor Ali, however, said making the arrangements was a job of the yet he would give the proposed date adding the elections will be held on whichever date was available in the light of SC’s order.
The Punjab and KP assemblies, it may be recalled, were dissolved on January 14 and 18, respectively. According to the constitution, the elections should be held within 90 days after the dissolution of an assembly.
The governors of Punjab as KP have, however, refused to propose a date and consequently the issue landed in the Supreme Court which, in its verdict, directed President Arif Alvi to announce the election date for Punjab after consultation with ECP, and the KP governor to suggest an election date after consultation with the commission.
The KP governor regretted that the president announced the date on his own whereas he (Governor Ali) wished that a unanimous date would have been announced by him, the President and the Chief Election Commissioner. “I had contacted the president but he still announced the date unilaterally,” Ghulam Ali maintained.
