SHORT of giving a clear-cut date for the general election, President Dr Arif Alvi has written a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja suggesting polls should be held across the country no later than November 06 i.e. within 90 days of the dissolution of the National Assembly. However, the President has concurred with the viewpoint of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Law Ministry and the four provinces that elections to the National and Provincial Assemblies should be held simultaneously to avoid unnecessary expenditure.
The President was ostensibly under great pressure on the issue of election date as his parent party, the PTI, was urging him to announce a date that conforms to the requirement of holding polls within 90 days of the dissolution of the National Assembly while the ECP and the caretaker set-up had their own interpretation of the matter, believing that after amendment to the relevant law, it is the sole prerogative of the Election Commission to announce a date. The President cited Article 48(5) of the Constitution which, according to him, empowered and mandated him to fix a date not later than 90 days from the date of the dissolution for the holding of a general election to the Assembly. Despite having a contrary view, the President has done well by not announcing a unilateral date as that would have complicated the prevailing impasse on the issue. By advising the ECP to appoint a date in consultation with the judiciary and the provincial governments, the President, in a way, has indirectly acknowledged the right of the Commission to decide the issue. It is also a reality that unilateral actions and decisions spark reactions as we witnessed in the case of the Supreme Court verdict on holding elections in Punjab. It is not yet clear whether or not the ECP would seek guidance from the judiciary as advised by the President because the Commission believes it has the necessary mandate to announce a date and also because it was practically next to impossible to hold elections on or before November 06 in view of the ongoing process of delimitation of constituencies. However, consultations should be held among all stakeholders to explore the possibility of holding elections as early as possible and the Commission should announce a firm date without loss of further time.
