Amid the ongoing controversy over the 90-day limit, PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah said general elections were to be held in February and any polls on the basis of old delimitations would be unconstitutional.
Expressing his views in a programme hosted by a private TV channel, the seasoned politician said they respected the objection raised by the PPP over the delay in elections but notifying the census results meant that the delimitation had to be carried out on the basis of that.
It was a constitutional obligation that the fresh elections after 2018 would be organised according to the latest census, Sana said.
Delimitation was a constitutional requirement, he made it clear and added that elections could not be held without fulfilling the same.
He also said that the PPP should have complete understanding of the constitutional scheme. “Should we conclude that the PPP did not have any knowledge of Clause V of Article 51?” the PML-N leader questioned.
Rana Sana went on to say that the census was notified with consensus [as the PPP was a part of the government and the cabinet while also being represented by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah in the CCI (Council of CommonInterests)].
The census issue, he said, had been going on for the last six years and the PPP was in the CCI during that period.
However, the PML-N also explained his personal point of view that he supported the idea of holding elections within 60 days, not 90.
After the Pakistan People’s Party expressed concerns over the delay in general elections, Rana Sanaullah Khan said that the party was aware of the fact that the polls will be deferred while consenting to the approval of the census in the meeting of Council of Common Interests.
