During a consultative session between the Awami National Party (ANP) andthe Chief Election Commissioner, discussions revolved around the timing ofthe upcoming general elections. It was conveyed by the Chief ElectionCommissioner that there was a possibility of holding the elections bymid-February, with the potential for an even earlier date if theconstituency delimitation process concluded ahead of schedule.
In the course of outlining the electoral roadmap, the ANP expressed itsconcerns about the feasibility of conducting the elections within thestandard 90-day period. They urged for clarity on the election date andschedule if the 90-day timeframe was not workable.
Following a meeting between the ANP delegation and the Election Commission,Mian Iftikhar Hussain, a prominent ANP leader, communicated theCommission’s stance. The Election Commission confirmed its preparedness tofacilitate elections by mid-February and demonstrated its dedication toexpediting the constituency delimitation process, which could potentiallylead to an expedited election timeline.
Both Mian Iftikhar Hussain and Zahid Khan, representing the ANP leadership,emphasized that they had effectively conveyed the party’s perspective. Theyunderlined the constitutional obligation to hold elections within 90 days,while also drawing attention to their exclusion from the Council of CommonInterests (CCI) meeting. In response, the Election Commission pointed outthat the approval of the census would inevitably necessitate the creationof new constituencies.
Read Top Stories
Mian Iftikhar Hussain further highlighted a significant factor thatcontributed to the delay in fresh elections – the premature dissolution ofthe assembly shortly before its scheduled completion. He stressed that theassembly’s dissolution just a few days before the tenure’s end resulted ina one-month postponement of the election timeline.
Mian Iftikhar Hussain also revealed that the Election Commission hadprovided assurances regarding their preparedness for the mid-Februaryelections. He noted that the Commission had committed to expediting theprocess of constituency delimitation, thereby increasing the likelihood ofholding elections earlier than initially anticipated
