Mehmood Achakzai asks ECP to delay presidential election

ISLAMABAD: Mehmood Khan Achakzai — the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) backed presidential candidate — on Friday asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to postpone the election as the electoral college is “incomplete”.

In a letter to the chief election commissioner on Friday, Achakzai said that stated that electoral college for a presidential election was “still incomplete”.

“As yet no one was elected on those reserved seats and without nominations and proper election on these seats, if the presidential election is conducted as per the schedule that would be denial of their votes, which otherwise is against the fundamental rights, law and constitution,” stated the letter.

“Under the above circumstances, it is submitted that the proposed election to the office of the President of Pakistan is clearly impossible, therefore the same may kindly be postponed or delayed till completion of electoral college accordingly in the best interest of justice, fair play and equity.”

Achakzai said that the the Sunni Ittehad Council has already filed a petition in the court regarding reserved seats and an injunctive order has been issued.

He added that till the seats are not fulfilled the presidential polls would be “illegal, unlawful and against the spirit of Constitution”.

Achakzai’s letter comes a day before the election is set to be held across the five assemblies.

polling is scheduled to take place from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on March 9 at Parliament House in Islamabad and the provincial Assembly buildings in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, and Quetta.

Former president Asif Zardari is being backed by the PML-N-led eight-party coalition as per an understanding reached after the February 8 elections, while nationalist leader Mahmood Achakzai is the candidate of the PTI-Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) alliance.

The president is elected by an electoral college comprising members of the Senate, National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies.

With majority in all assembles and Senate, PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari is set to become President of Pakistan for second time.

Alvi given farewell guard of honour

President Arif Alvi on Friday was given a farewell guard of honour at Aiwan-e-Sadr on the completion of his constitutional term.

The president was escorted to the salute dais who, after the national anthem, reviewed the guard of honor presented by the smartly turned out contingents of the armed forces.

Alvi was elected as the country’s 13th president following the election victory of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party led by then-Prime Minister Imran Khan, and took the oath of office on Sept. 9, 2018, succeeding Mamnoon Hussain.