ECP sticks to its guns on President Alvi's invitation to meeting on elections
Last updated on: 20 February,2023 01:49 pm
Final decision of not attending the meeting was taken at a meeting chaired by CEC Sikandar Sultan
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) persisted with its decision to not attend an urgent meeting called by President Dr Arif Alvi to discuss elections.
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja took the final decision on Monday in a consultative meeting attended by the ECP top officials. The meeting discussed various aspects to decide whether the election officials should accept the invitation to the president’s meeting.
The ECP is of the view that it can't attend the meeting as the matters related to elections in Punjab and Khyber Paktunkhwa are being heard by various courts across the country.
An uncertainty prevails over elections in both provinces, where assemblies were dissolved in January last, as the top election body and governors are reluctant to announce a date for the polls. Earlier this month, the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the ECP to hold consultation with Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman and announce a date for the elections. It also ruled that the polls should be held within 90 days.
After no headway in the ECP and governor meeting took place, President Alvi sent a letter to the electoral body, inviting the CEC to a meeting to discuss elections.
In reply, the ECP sent a letter to the president on Sunday, stating that “the commission may not be able to enter into a process of consultation with the presidency as the matter was subjudice at various judicial fora.” The ECP letter, bearing the signatures of ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan, stated the final decision would be taken on Monday.
It noted that the Constitution did not empower the ECP to fix a date for a general election to an assembly in case of dissolution. The ECP pointed out that after dissolution of both provincial assemblies, the commission approached governors of both provinces for appointment of a date for elections.
The letter maintained that the ECP delegation approached the governor of Punjab for appointment of poll date but the governor refrained from providing an election date. The letter concluded that the commission had utmost respect for the President’s office.