PPP adamant ‘general elections in 90 days’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has refused to budge from its stance that next general elections should be held within the stipulated time given under Article 224 of the Constitution (time of election and by-election), ARY News reported on Monday, citing sources.  

Sources told ARY News that PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has constituted a seven-member team to meet officials of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) tomorrow.

The delegation will meet ECP officials tomorrow and demand to hold next general elections within the stipulated time given under Article 224 of the Constitution – 90 days.

The seven-member delegation comprises of Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, Naveed Qamar, Faisal Karim Kundi, Taj Haider, Murad Ali Shah, Sherry Rehman and Farooq Naek.

Last week, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Central Executive Committee (CEC) decided to advocate the organisation of the general elections in 90 days after the dissolution of the Natioanl Assembly.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari chaired the session of the PPP CEC to make key decisions including general elections and consultations with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The political party decided to urge the organisation of general polls in November, sources told ARY News. The CEC declared the 2023 census statistics ‘suspicious’.

Read more: PPP CEC decides to advocate general elections in 90 days

While addressing a press conference, Sherry Rehman said that the PPP CEC held discussions on various topics including general elections, delimitations, inflation and inflated utility bills.

“Another crisis will hit the nation if elections are not conducted in 90 days in accordance with the Constitution. PPP has adopted a stance of elections in 90 days.”

“ECP has invited the PPP for consultations and we have not changed our stance. We were told that elections would not be delayed after notifying the census.”

It is pertinent to mention here that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has begun consultations with the major political parties ahead of the general elections to finalise the electoral roadmap.

Earlier in the month, PPP demanded the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to announce the general election date. The PPP leader Faisal Karim Kundi said that the PPP wants free and fair elections across Pakistan on one day.

He said that ECP should not delay the announcement of the election date and that the election schedule must be issued immediately.

Earlier, it was reported that the ECP decided to hold general elections in the second week of February 2024.

Sources privy to the development told ARY News that the election commission is likely to issue general elections schedule after December 2023. “The election schedule will be issued 54 days after the completion of the delimitation process,” said sources with ECP.