President urged to announce polls date sans delay

PTI says PDM opened door of constitutional violations by defying SC verdict on polls in Punjab, K-P

ISLAMABAD:

In a hard-hitting statement, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Core Committee has reminded President Dr Arif Alvi about his constitutional responsibilities, demanding that he should exercise his powers and announce the polls’ date without any further delay.

The core committee stated that if the president – who completed his five-year term on Friday night and was unlikely to leave the office – did not announce the polls date, he would be responsible for the violation of the Constitution and the basic constitutional and democratic rights of the people.

The committee conveyed that announcement of the date for general elections would put an end to the prevailing chaotic and uncertain situation that gripped the country since the “regime change conspiracy” in April 2022.

Though the tone and diction of the statement appeared unusual, PTI Secretary Information Raoof Hasan said that there was nothing unusual in it as the office of the president was a constitutional position and he did not belong to any party after becoming the head of the state.

As opposed to the president’s apparent tilt towards the PTI during his five-year tenure, the secretary information said that President Alvi no longer belonged to the PTI as “one resigns from party position before becoming the president”, saying the PTI Core Committee had only brought to his notice the responsibilities of a president.

During his five-year tenure, the president worked with three prime ministers, including Imran Khan, Shehbaz Sharif, and Anwaarul Haq Kakar.

The PTI government had relied heavily on ordinances for the purpose of legislation during its tenure.

Of 75 ordinances laid in the National Assembly in five years, 72 were promulgated by the PTI government with the approval of the president.

Hasan said that Article 48(5) of the Constitution empowered the president to give a date for holding general elections within 90 days in case of premature dissolution of the NA.

Therefore, he said, the president should fulfil his constitutional responsibility and announce the date for general elections in the country without any delay to ensure the supremacy of the Constitution.

In a statement, the PTI Core Committee meeting approved a unanimous resolution demanding the president to instantly fix the date of general elections in the country, saying: “If the president does not announce the polls date, he will be responsible for the violation of the Constitution and the basic constitutional and democratic rights of the people.”

According to the Constitution, the committee stated, the supreme authority belonged to God Almighty, adding that powers and sovereignty under the Constitution were reserved for the people who exercised them through their elected public representatives.

The committee also highlighted that Pakistan was passing through the most critical phase of its history in which the country was grappling with very complex problems at constitutional, political, democratic, administrative, economic and social levels.

The participants stated that the undemocratic and unconstitutional move of the regime change conspiracy in April 2022 caused the current widespread chaos and turmoil in the state structure and governance.

The PTI went on to say that the regime change conspiracy created unimaginable anxiety and unrest in national security, unity, development and fundamental rights of the people and their lives.

The resolution stated that the chaotic situation and disillusionment were increasing with each passing day.
It recalled that the assemblies of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were dissolved on Jan 14 and 18, 2023, respectively, however, the PDM government avoided holding elections in 90 days in sheer violation of Article 224(2) of the Constitution.

The participants of the meeting stated that by defying the decision of the Supreme Court on April 4, 2023, on one hand, the PDM government opened the door of constitutional violation while on the other; it caused deep distress in the nation.

They reiterated that the establishment of a democratic government was a constitutional requirement and the need of the hour, which was the sole and only answer to the multifaceted crises facing Pakistan.