ISLAMABAD – Following directives from Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) met with President Dr. Arif Alvi on Thursday to settle on February 8 as the date for general elections in the country.
After Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan paid a courtesy call on the president in Islamabad, he met with a team from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
The commission informed the Supreme Court on Thursday that national elections would be held on February 11, but the Chief Justice of the Philippines instructed it to have the president’s approval before moving forward with the plan.
The Chief Justice of the Philippines, Justice Aminuddin Khan, and Justice Athar Minallah formed a three-judge bench to consider petitions demanding elections be held no more than 90 days following the dissolution of the legislatures.
The CJP issued an order that the ECP meet with the President of Pakistan today to set a date for general elections in Pakistan.
Further, “in this regard, the Attorney-General for Pakistan will arrange [this] meeting and shall provide to the president this court’s order of 23 October 2023 and today’s order, and be available to render assistance,” the document states.
“We expect that the matter of appointing a date for holding general elections shall be settled, and this court will be informed tomorrow, that is, tomorrow, November 3, 2023 [Friday],” it concluded.
The Supreme Court adjourned the hearing till Thursday, November 2 after issuing notifications to the Election Commission of Pakistan and the Federation on October 23.
The CJP made a comment during the hearing that the SC would declare the official election date.
He noted that this was an unusual situation in which everyone involved seemed content.
The top judge stated that the political parties should go to the public with their manifestos and the latter would vote for the one they wanted.
Primarily, Justice Minallah blamed the administration, the ECP, and the president for the postponed elections.
He went on to say that polls would take place as planned and that no one had been punished for disobeying the law.
According to ECP lawyer Sajeel Swati, delimitation proceedings have begun and will wrap up on November 30 (as stated in the order).
Further, he stated that the delimitation’s ultimate outcome would be made public by December 5, 2023.
“Thereafter, the election program is to be announced in terms of section 57(2) of the Elections Act, 2017, which provides certain timeframes and will conclude on 29 January 2024,” the order reported him as stating.
The ECP lawyer was quoted in the judgment as saying that holding polls on a Sunday would increase turnout. He also mentioned that the first Sunday after the given timeline, February 4, 2024, will fall on. It would be appropriate to have elections on Sunday, 11 February 2024,” the lawyer was reported as telling the court in the decision. “However, to enable political parties to transmit their separate agendas and manifestos, it would be appropriate to hold elections on that date.”
The CJP questioned Swati on whether or not the president was informed about the polling date. The ECP attorney said that the commission was under no obligation to agree with the president.
The chief judge was irritated by this reply and reminded everyone that both the president and ECP were nationals of Pakistan. He wanted to know why the ECP was so hesitant to talk to Alvi. He then gave instructions for the commission to discuss the election date with the president.
Swati informed the court, following a half-hour recess, that the ECP will be meeting with the president later that day for consultation.
The presiding judge noted that the specified election date would have to be followed later while dictating the written order.
“The SC wants elections to be held without any arguments,” he added, pointing out that the court merely sought a solution to the situation without any technicalities.
“The final date for polls will be announced from the Supreme Court,” CJP Isa said.
He went on to say that after this case, they would no longer listen to requests to postpone voting. The trial was postponed until today, a Friday.
