ECP will announce election date: info minister

Caretaker Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi, while responding to reports about the timing of upcoming general elections, clarified that the announcement of poll date falls within the purview of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Solangi’s statement came following reports hinting that President Dr Arif Alvi could announce the date for elections at “any time”. Sources revealed that the president is "hell bent" upon announcing the date of polls. They added that if the situation persists, the country may find itself in the throes of another constitutional crisis.

The insiders said that Alvi's legal team as well as the Attorney General for Pakistan have explicitly informed him that following amendments to the Election Act, he no longer has the authority to announce election dates.

Read more: President can announce polls date at ‘any time’: sources

"As per the Constitution, elections are held under the last population census, which were conducted in 2023. The delimitation of constituencies is essential, and the ECP has already released the schedule for it,” Solangi said in an interview with a private TV channel.

The information minister further elaborated that once the process of delimitation is completed, all political parties would have 54 days to prepare for the elections. Solangi stressed the commitment to conducting impartial, transparent, and fair elections and assured cooperation with the ECP in this regard.

"The current caretaker government is committed to abiding by the law and the Constitution. We strive to maintain strong relations with all political parties, and we aim for an election that is accepted by all," Solangi stated.

He emphasised that the duration of the caretaker government is determined by the Constitution, law, and constitutional bodies. "Once a new parliament is elected, we will hand over the responsibility of running the country to the elected representatives, as outlined in the Constitution. There is no room for ambiguity,” he further said.

He acknowledged the rights of political leaders such as Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chief of a major political party PPP, to express their opinions freely. He also noted that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is a registered political party and there are no restrictions on it.