ECP rejects Achakzai’s call to delay presidential polls

ECP says Achakzai did not object during scrutiny phase

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected on Saturday a call by Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) presidential candidate Mahmood Khan Achakzai to postpone the elections for president being held today.

The commission, in a written reply after rejecting the PkMAP chief's plea, stated that Achakzai did not object during the phase of submitting and scrutiny of nomination papers and the electoral college is now fully functional to conduct the polls.

It added that with the election of the prime minister and chief ministers, all assemblies are now working.

Incumbent President Dr Arif Alvi is the country’s fourth democratically elected president to complete the five-year term. At present, Alvi is on an extended tenure after completing his five-year term on September 9 last year. His tenure was extended as the National Assembly and the provincial assemblies stood dissolved when his term in office had concluded.

Achakzai had moved ECP with a letter against conducting presidential polls today as he highlighted the issue of numerous vacant reserve seats in national and provincial assemblies.

He argued that proceeding with the election without filling these seats would violate the law and the Constitution.

"The election should be postponed until the electoral college is completed," Achakzai stated firmly in his letter to the ECP.

Furthermore, Achakzai revealed that the SIC has submitted an application to the Peshawar High Court regarding the matter of reserve seats. He expressed hopes for a fair decision from the court on this issue.

The development came a day after the ruling coalition including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) endorsed the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari’s nomination for the presidency.