On Thursday, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) denounced the ElectionCommission of Pakistan’s (ECP) earlier announcement about the upcominggeneral elections as ‘unconstitutional.’
According to the ECP, these elections are scheduled for the final week ofJanuary 2024, with the preliminary constituency delimitations set to bereleased on September 27. A prominent PPP member, Faisal Karim Kundi,rejected the ECP’s decision, expressing his party’s reservations about theelection date.
He stated that these concerns had been communicated to PPP ChairmanBilawal Bhutto Zardari. Kundi mentioned that the party’s Central ExecutiveCommittee would convene a meeting upon Bilawal Bhutto’s return to Pakistanto determine the next steps.
It’s worth noting that Bilawal Bhutto, the PPP chairman, and formerforeign minister, is currently celebrating his 35th birthday in Dubai, UAE,where he plans to stay for five days. Bilawal has consistently emphasizedhis party’s request for the ECP to announce the election date in accordancewith the constitution.
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On September 11, he reiterated that the PPP was fully prepared for theupcoming elections, whether they occur within 90 days or, at the latest,within 120 days following the dissolution of the national and provincialassemblies. Kundi labeled the ECP’s announcement as a violation of theconstitution and deemed it unacceptable to the PPP.
He stressed that the Election Commission of Pakistan would be heldaccountable if it failed to conduct elections in line with constitutionalguidelines. Kundi indicated that the party’s CEC would deliberate onwhether to pursue legal action or engage in public action against the ECP’sdecision.
