Elections should be held in Oct-Nov: PM Shehbaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that coalition partners have unanimously decided that the elections be held in October-November across the country on the same day, ARY News reported.

The prime minister said this while addressing a meeting of the federal cabinet.

“There is a consensus that the assembly would complete its term on August 13 and general elections must be held in October-November,” said Shehbaz Sharif while briefing media on today’s ruling alliance huddle.

The premier reiterated that the parliament would decide about the disbursement of funds to the el election commission for conducting polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

He further said, “Parliamentary committee will discuss the terms of talks between the coalition government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) regarding holding elections across the country on the same day”.

PM Shehbaz Sharif said that the situation was very challenging today, adding that federal government’s stance was the same even today on SC’s 4-3 verdict.

“[The] SC is still trying to take things forward with the same three-member bench,” PM Shehbaz said.

The premier’s address comes hours after he held an important meeting with coalition partners to discuss the possibility of talks with the opposition PTI on SC’s directives.

The attorney general for Pakistan and federal ministers also attended the meeting. The meeting was briefed by the legal team on the election fund case and the negotiations with opposition, say sources.

It is to be noted here that the government had assured the Supreme Court of holding talks with the opposition over elections in two provinces on April 26.

During SC’s last hearing on polls delay case, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had assured the Supreme Court that they will sit with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and try to find a solution on the election date.

A three-member bench of the top court — headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar — has sought a progress report on the talks by April 27.

The Supreme Court – in its April 4 order – declared Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to postpone elections to the Punjab Assembly till October 8 “unconstitutional” and fixed May 14 as new date.

The National Assembly later passed a resolution rejecting the three-member Supreme Court bench’s verdict on the Punjab polls, stating that it would not provide funds to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for polls.