Election date: CEC decides 'against' meeting President Alvi

ISLAMABAD: The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja has decided ‘against’ meeting President Alvi on his invitation to discuss the general election date, ARY News reported, quoting ECP sources. 

The decision was reportedly taken during a meeting of the ECP to discuss the legal and constitutional options in line with the president’s letter.

According to the briefing of the legal team, the CEC was advised not to ‘consult’ President Alvi on the election date as after the Election Amendment Act, there is no need for such consultation.

After the briefing, CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja decided ‘against’ meeting the president and wrote a letter to him.

The letter stated the ECP respects President Arif Alvi, but there is no need for consultation on the election date as per the Election Amendment Act.

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The president can announce the election date when the assembly is dissolved by the presidency, however, ECP is autonomous in announcing the date, the letter read.

It maybe noted that President Arif Alvi on Wednesday invited Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja for a meeting to decide the date of general elections.

In the letter President wrote that he dissolved the National Assembly on August 09 on the advice of the prime minister. “President is bound to give the date of general elections, being held within 90 days after dissolution of the assembly under the Article 48-V,” the President wrote in the letter.