General elections in Pakistan will be held in the final week of January 2024, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) declared on Thursday.
A tentative list of the delimitations, which are being done in accordance with the latest census, will be published on September 27, according to the electoral board.
General Elections To Be Delayed
The ECP stated that today it reviewed the delimitation process’s progress and decided to publish the final list of constituencies on November 30 after hearing concerns and recommendations on the delimitations.
The final week of January 2024 will then mark the start of the subsequent 54-day election cycle, according to the ECP statement.
The election commission’s announcement finally put an end to the election’s uncertainty because the previous PDM-led government’s decision to allow a new census required the electoral body to conduct new delimitation before holding elections, raising concerns about an unjustified poll delay.
The ECP was mandated to hold elections within the stipulated 90-day time period after the premature dissolution of national and provincial assemblies earlier in August this year, which means the elections must be held no later than November 6.
ECP Stance
However, the ECP claimed that because it was required by the constitution to design new boundaries before the polls, it was impossible to hold elections within a 90-day window.
Important political organizations including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and others requested the Election Commission to hold elections as soon as possible to put an end to the nation’s ongoing unrest.
Free, fair, and on-time elections have also been demanded by the United States and the United Kingdom.
Additionally, US Ambassador Donald Blome met with CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja last month to reiterate his nation’s support for “free and fair elections” and to reiterate that Pakistan’s citizens should elect the country’s future leaders.
President Arif Alvi Letter To CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja
Days prior, in a letter to CEC Raja, President Arif Alvi proposed a deadline for the holding of elections.
The president had said that in the light of Article 48(5) of the Constitution, he has the authority and mandate “to appoint a date not later than 90 days from the date of dissolution [of assemblies], for holding of a general election to the assembly.”
“In terms of Article 48(5) the general election to the National Assembly should be held by the eighty-ninth day of the date of dissolution of the National Assembly, i.e. Monday 6th Day of November 2023,” the letter stated.
The ECP, however, had argued that following changes to election legislation, the president no longer had the authority to set the day for voting.
To read our blog on “General elections 2023 likely to be delayed for 6 months,” click here.
