Governor invites ECP for consultation on K-P election date

Ghulam Ali says he has invited ECP officials for deliberation on March 7 or 8

Instead of giving a date for provincial assembly elections, Governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Ghulam Ali on Monday invited the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for consultation, saying he would give a date for polls after deliberation.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court announced its verdict after two-day-long proceedings in the case regarding the delay in the announcement of the date of provincial elections in Punjab and K-P.

The apex court ordered that elections in both assemblies should be held in the next 90 days, with the chief justice saying that "democracy cannot exist without assemblies".

Following the top court's decision, the ECP had written a letter to the K-P governor seeking a date for the elections, to which Ghulam Ali responded today.

Speaking to Express News, Ali said he has invited the ECP officials for consultation on March 7 or 8.

Read more: Election date

He further said that he would evaluate the situation and set a date for the provincial assembly elections following consultation with ECP officials.

President Dr Arif Alvi has already announced that elections in Punjab province will be held on April 30.

PTI, the party Alvi belongs to, has called for for free and fair elections in both provinces. In the past, PTI has criticised the delay in the announcement of election dates in the provinces, arguing that it is an infringement on democratic rights. The party has also called for the ECP to ensure transparent and impartial conduct of the electoral process.

By bringing forward the provincial polls, political analysts say PTI could pressure the coalition PDM government into holding a countrywide election earlier—a demand the party has been making since chairman Imran Khan was ousted as prime minister in April after losing a parliamentary vote of confidence.

Also read: Elections only pathway to break policy-making paralysis

The Express Tribune earlier reported that ECP has geared up preparations for the elections in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and is likely to release the schedule this week.

Sources say the commission has started preparing the election schedule and there is a strong possibility that the Election Commission would release the schedule either on Monday or Tuesday.