By A new political crisis is unfolding in Pakistan, as President Arif Alvi has taken a controversial step by announcing election dates for the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces without the approval of the country’s election commission. This move has raised significant concerns and sparked a series of reactions.
The election commission had previously requested 15 billion rupees (approximately $57 million) to organize elections in these provinces and sought assistance from law enforcement agencies for security. Unfortunately, both the finance and defense ministries rejected these requests.
In a letter addressed to Sikandar Sultan Raja, Pakistan’s chief election commissioner, President Alvi cited his constitutional authority as the basis for declaring April 9 as the election date for the two provinces. It’s worth noting that these provincial assemblies were under the control of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party before being dissolved recently as part of Khan’s effort to push for early general elections, which were originally scheduled for later this year.
President Alvi defended his decision by stating his duty to uphold the constitution of Pakistan, adding that he felt compelled to announce the election date. It’s essential to mention that President Alvi is a prominent figure within the PTI.
Following discussions on Alvi’s announcement, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) released a statement saying they would seek advice from the attorney general of Pakistan and other legal experts regarding this matter.
Ever since his removal from office in April of the previous year, former cricketer and politician Imran Khan has been holding public rallies across Pakistan, advocating for early elections.
According to Pakistan’s constitution, provincial governors should announce new elections within 90 days of the dissolution of the assembly. However, the Election Commission had previously stated that the general elections couldn’t be held within this 90-day timeframe due to the extensive process of delimitation following the notification of the latest digital population and housing census in the country.
President Alvi criticized the governors of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces for not fulfilling their constitutional duties by refusing to announce the election dates. He also criticized the election commission for its delay in addressing the issue.
Nevertheless, the government and constitutional experts have criticized President Alvi’s unilateral decision to announce the election date. During a session in the National Assembly, Federal Defense Minister Khawaja Asif expressed concern that the president was overstepping his authority and following the directives of his party leader, Imran Khan. Asif warned that the political crisis could worsen and called for political parties to engage in dialogue to find a solution.
