World News | Pakistan President Alvi Announces Punjab and K-P Elections on April 9
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Monday unilaterally announced April 9 as the date for holding elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies, a move rejected by parties of the ruling alliance partners, saying polls cannot be held on the President's directives.
Islamabad, Feb 20 (PTI) Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Monday unilaterally announced April 9 as the date for holding elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies, a move rejected by parties of the ruling alliance partners, saying polls cannot be held on the President's directives.
The provincial assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was dissolved on January 14 and January 18 respectively, before the expiry of their mandated five-year terms on the orders of former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan.
According to the Constitution, elections have to be held within 90 days after the dissolution of the assembly.
Alvi, who is the member of Khan's PTI, said he “felt it necessary to perform his constitutional and statutory duty to announce the date of elections to avoid the infringement and breach of the Constitution and law of holding of elections not later than ninety days”.
The President Secretariat's Press Wing said Alvi made the announcement based on relevant section of Pakistan's Constitution.
President Alvi criticised Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman and KP Governor Haji Ghulam Ali for “not performing their constitutional duties of appointing a date not later than ninety days from the date of dissolution” of the provincial assemblies.
He also criticised the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for “not fulfilling its constitutional obligation for holding polls” of the assemblies concerned.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Talal Chaudhary told Geo News that: “Election cannot — and will not — be held on the President's directives.”
Federal Minister for Planning and Development and senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal said "it is the prerogative of the ECP" and not the President to announce a date for the elections, according to Geo News.
The dissolution of the two provincial assemblies is seen as a bid by Khan to push for early national elections in the country.
The former prime minister has been demanding fresh polls ever since he was ousted from the top job through a no confidence motion in April 2022.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)