The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday held a meeting to discuss the law and order situation in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ahead of upcoming elections.

Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that the elections for the Punjab and KP assemblies should be held within the stipulated period of 90 days. It also held that President Dr Arif Alvi and the KP governor would fix dates for Punjab and KP assemblies, respectively, in consultation with the ECP.

Last Friday, the ECP wrote separate letters to the president and the KP governor. In the letter to Alvi, the electoral watchdog proposed dates between April 30 and May 7 for the elections. Later the same day, Alvi announced that elections in Punjab will be held on April 30.

However, a date for the KP polls has yet to be announced. A day earlier, the ECP invited the KP governor for a final consultation on the election date.

“The ECP has desired to extend an invitation to you on the meeting of ECP scheduled to be held on Tuesday (March 14, at 2pm) in the ECP headquarters for a final consultation on the appointment of date for the conduct of general elections to the provincial assembly of KP,” read a letter sent to the governor by the commission on Thursday.

Today’s ECP meeting was presided over by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and attended by the its members, representatives of law enforcement agencies and premium intelligence agencies.

The participants were briefed in detail on the current security situation in the two provinces regarding free, fair, peaceful and transparent elections.

The briefing provided valuable insights to assist the commission in making informed decisions regarding the conduct of the upcoming polls.

At the end of the meeting, CEC Raja thanked all the participants and conveyed his gratitude for the detailed briefing.

He expressed the confidence that the information provided would enable the commission to take the necessary measures to ensure peaceful and transparent elections in the two provinces.

Punjab, KP election limbo

The Punjab and KP assemblies — where the PTI had governments — were dissolved on January 14 and January 18, respectively, in an attempt to pave the way for snap polls.

On Jan 24, the ECP wrote letters to the principal secretaries of Punjab and KP governors, suggesting elections in Punjab between April 9 and 13, and in KP between April 15 and 17.

At the same time, the PTI had on Jan 27 approached the LHC seeking orders for the Punjab governor to immediately announce a date for an election in the province following which the court had directed the ECP to immediately announce the date for elections after consultation with the governor.

Meanwhile, President Alvi had also urged the ECP on Feb 8 to “immediately announce” the date for polls in KP and Punjab and put an end to “dangerous speculative propaganda” on both the provincial assembly and general elections.

On Feb 17, President Alvi had invited CEC Raja for an urgent meeting regarding consultations on election dates but the ECP told him he had no role in the announcement of dates for general elections to provincial assemblies and the commission was aware of its constitutional obligation in this regard.

Subsequently, the president had unilaterally announced April 9 as the date for holding general elections for the Punjab and KP assemblies.

The move drew sharp criticism from his political opponents, who accused him of acting like a PTI worker while the ECP said on Feb 22 that it would announce the poll schedule only after the “competent authority” fixes the date. Later the same day, Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial took a suo motu notice of the delay in holding the polls.