President Dr Arif Alvi right here on Monday introduced April 9 because the date for holding common elections for the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a press launch issued by the President’s secretariat mentioned.
The unilateral announcement of the election date by the President got here after ECP turned down his invitation for consultations on dates for elections.
In keeping with a press launch issued by the President’s Secretariat’s Press Wing, the announcement of the election date was made underneath Part 57 (1) of the Elections Act, 2017. Moreover, President Alvi requested the Election Fee of Pakistan (ECP) to “subject election programme in accordance with Part 57 (2) of the Act”.
Quoting a letter despatched by Dr Alvi to the Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja, the assertion mentioned the president had made the choice underneath Part 57(1) (notification of election programme) of the Elections Act, 2017 and was asking the CEC to subject the election programme underneath Part 57(2) of the identical Act.
Saying he was “underneath oath to protect, shield and defend the Structure” underneath its Article 42 (oath of the president), he defended his announcement by including that there was “no obstacle in invoking the facility and authority vested in him” as there was “no restraining order from any of the judicial fora”.
He mentioned he had “felt it essential to carry out his constitutional and statutory obligation to announce the date of elections to keep away from the infringement and breach of the Structure and legislation i.e. the holding of elections not later than ninety days”.
The elections are to happen in each the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the PTI governments had dissolved their assemblies on the orders of social gathering chairman Imran Khan earlier than the expiry of their five-year mandated time period.