President Dr Arif Alvi has announced the date of General elections for Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of Pakistan, which is set to be held on April 9. The decision was made under the Election Act 2027 Section 57(1).
However, the ruling allies have rejected the decision outrightly. According to the president, he has asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to issue an election programme in accordance with Section 57(2) of the Act.
The president has initiated a serious consultation process with the ECP under Section 57(1) of the Elections Act, 2017 to announce the date for the general elections of the assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The ECP has refused to participate in a meeting with the Office of the president on this matter. The political parties such as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have questioned the president’s move, stating that he was not empowered to set the date of the election.
