ISLAMABAD: Amid speculations of delays in general elections due to fresh delimitation exercise, the Ministry of Law and Justice informed President Arif Alvi, who had asked the Election Com­mission of Pakistan to fix a date for election, that powers to announce poll date rested with the ECP, not the president.

The letter penned by the law ministry was not released to media, but Dawn confirmed from sources in the President’s House that Mr Alvi has indeed received the communique. There were no official statements from the ministry and the presidency over the matter. Attempts were made to get copy of the letter from the presidency and the law ministry but officials were reluctant to share the letter.

Some media outlets shared the contents of the letter, attributing it to their sources. These reports suggested that after the amendments made in the Elections Act, the president no longer had the power to determine the date of elections.

President Alvi had written to law ministry for advice after CEC turned down his request for meeting to settle an election date

This letter followed a response to the president by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, who told the president that under the amended law, giving election date was the sole prerogative of the election watchdog. Mr Alvi had invited him for a meeting on the election date.

“Participation in such a confab would be of ‘scant importance’ after recent changes to the election law…citing Clause 57 of Election Act meant that giving election date is the sole prerogative of ECP,” the CEC mentioned in his response to the letter sent by President Arif Alvi.

His response spurred the president to approach the law ministry for advice. In his letter to the ministry, President Alvi had quoted Article 244 of the Constitution, saying he was duty-bound to get the elections conducted in the 90 days’ prescribed period once the National Assembly is dissolved prematurely.

However, in its response on Wednes­day, the ministry told the president that after changes to the elections act the president had no role in announcing the date for elections.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2023

Opinion

Editorial

Electable politics
Updated 04 Dec, 2023

Electable politics

With the PTI still on the wrong side of the political equation, the prospects will be bright for whoever takes the lead.
War of narratives
04 Dec, 2023

War of narratives

MILITARILY, there is no match between the Israeli war machine, and the defenceless people of Gaza. On one side is a...
Returns on deposits
04 Dec, 2023

Returns on deposits

DESPITE the deceleration of deposit mobilisation, bank deposits have jumped to a record high of Rs25.6tr in FY23. ...
Promises, promises
Updated 03 Dec, 2023

Promises, promises

The climate crisis transcends national borders and political agendas, demanding a unified, decisive response.
PCB’s strange decision
03 Dec, 2023

PCB’s strange decision

THE Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision-making and the way it is being run has become a joke. A day after appointing...
Resettling Afghans
03 Dec, 2023

Resettling Afghans

FOR two years now, since the Afghan Taliban took Kabul, thousands of Afghans in Pakistan who had worked for Western...