ECP delegation to meet President Alvi on elections 2024

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday summoned an important session for consultations with President Arif Alvi over holding general elections in February, ARY News reported.

Talking to media outside the Supreme Court, the ECP secretary said that the election body will hold a meeting with President Arif Alvi shortly for consultation on general elections 2024.

The development came after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) today informed the Supreme Court that the general elections in the country will be held on February 11, 2024.

“Elections in the country will be held in the country after completion of delimitation on November 30,” ECP’s lawyer Sajeel Swati told the three-member bench.

READ: PTI files amended petition in Supreme Court on election date

A three-member bench led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Athar Minallah is hearing the pleas.

The petitioners in the case, including the Supreme Court Bar, the PTI and others pleaded that the general elections in the country should be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the assembly by the Constitution.

At the outset of the hearing, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) moved a plea to become a respondent in the case through Farooq H. Naek. The plea was accepted by the SC.

PTI’s lawyer Barrister Ali Zafar in said as per the constitution of Pakistan elections should be held within 90 days after the dissolution of assemblies.

CJP Justice Qazi Faez Isa remarked the plea has now become ‘ineffective’, to which Barrister Ali Zafar said they are talking about basic human rights.

“Now you only want the election date,” CJP asked the PTI lawyer.

Barrister Ali Zafar replied to the top judge in “Yes” and added following the dissolution of assemblies elections are to be held on November 7. Ministry of Law and Justice has said the president cannot announce the date for elections after enforcement of the Election Amendment Act, said.

Upon being asked by CJP Qazi Faez Isa, PTI lawyer said President Arif Alvi sought ECP’s opinion on the election date through a letter.

CJP then asked if has president sought SC’s opinion on the matter. No, he did not, Ali Zafar replied. “What can we do if the President didn’t give the election date? Can we issue notice to him,” the chief justice questioned.

On this point, Justice Minallah asked why the president wrote the letter in September and not on August 15 after the assemblies were dissolved on August 9.

Justice Minallah remarked that apparently, it looks like the Election Commission of Pakistan, the government, and the president are ‘responsible’ for delaying elections.

Now the question arises what will be the repercussions?