PM Shehbaz contacts Nawaz Sharif after Alvi stressed for ‘timely polls’

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday held a telephonic conversation with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif after President Dr Arif Alvi emphasised ‘timely elections’ in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), ARY News reported.

The telephonic conversation came a day after President Alvi wrote to PM Shehbaz, asking the premier to direct federal and provincial authorities to assist the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in holding the Punjab and KP elections in accordance with the orders of the Supreme Court (SC).

Sources told ARY News that the prime minister has accelerated consultation following the letter by the President. During the conversation, Nawaz Sharif directed the PML-N president to present all the facts before the nation.

Meanwhile, Shehbaz Sharif also held meetings with Azam Nazeer Tarar and other PML-N leaders in this regard. The participants of the meeting proposed to give an ‘effective reply’ to President Alvi’s letter.

A day earlier, President Alvi wrote to PM Shehbaz Sharif, asking the premier to direct the concerned authorities to assist Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in conducting the polls in Punjab and KP.

In the letter, the president asked the premier to take measures in order to not get involved in contempt court complexities.

He said that the prime minister, as the head of the government, was responsible for safeguarding human rights as well as the fundamental rights of every citizen.

Citing Article 46 of the Constitution, which states the prime minister will keep the president informed on all policy matters and legislative proposals by the federal government, Alvi said: “It is a matter of concern that no meaningful consultation with the president on policy issues has been undertaken by the prime minister in line with the above article.”

ECP delays polls

Earlier on March 22, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced to delay of the Punjab by-elections which were scheduled to be held on April 30.

The ECP withdrew the Punjab Election Program notification issued on March 8 and decided to postpone the Punjab election and announced October 08 as the new date for elections in Punjab.

The ECP spokesman said that the president Dr Arif Alvi also been informed about the postponement of elections in Punjab, adding that the new election schedule will release soon.