Chief Justice endorses Feb 8 for general election in country
General elections on Feb 8, 2024, ECP notifies
Shehbaz Sharif welcomes election date announcement,
ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday declared that the general election in the country would be held on Feb 8 as decided by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and President Dr Arif Alvi.
The ECP and the president sat together on the direction of the apex court which, a day earlier, took up the case of elections in 90 days. The court asked the stakeholders including the attorney general to arrange an immediate meeting and swifty reach a consensus on the election date.
On Friday, the court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faez Isa resumed the case and the attorney general produced minutes of the meeting between the president and the ECP, and the letter pertaining to the general elections date.
A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Athar Minallah heard the case.
While,
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has officially announced that the general elections for the national and four provincial assemblies will take place on February 8, 2024.
“In light of the Supreme Court’s orders from constitutional petitions numbered 32 and 36, of 2023, and after a subsequent meeting with the President of Pakistan, a notification has been issued here to confirm the date,” said the notification.
PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) announcement of the election date on Friday.
In a statement issued here, the former prime minister expressed his party’s readiness to take their case to the court of public under the leadership of party supremo Nawaz Sharif.
Shehbaz pointed out that the people of Pakistan would truly prosper when a government formed by their elected representatives would take charge.
The former premier noted that the Supreme Court had already highlighted the gravity of the offence of dissolving the National Assembly, contending that the penalty for the events of April 3 and May 9 were related to upholding the constitution, the rule of law and the state’s authority.
Shehbaz affirmed that his party had prepared for the upcoming general elections, stating that the PML-N was the first to kick off electioneering by establishing an election cell, parliamentary boards, and a committee for the party manifesto. “The PML-N has even begun accepting applications from election candidates on November 1.”
The former prime minister affirmed that if given the opportunity, the PML-N would once again set the country on the path of progress and development. He vowed that under the leadership of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan would reach the heights it had attained in 2018 and go even further.
Shehbaz also promised to preserve peace and prosperity throughout the country if his party came into power, adding, “God willing, we will resolve the impending issues of the energy crisis, unemployment and rising inflation. The era of economic growth, progress, and the development of our youth’s skills will dawn once more.”
