Islamabad: (Staff Reporter) The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) persisted with its decision to not attend an urgent meeting called by President Dr. Arif Alvi to discuss elections. Chief Elections Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja took the final decision on Monday in a consultative meeting attended by the ECP top officials.
According to the source, the meeting discussed various aspects to decide whether the elections officials should accept the invitation to the president’s meeting. The ECP is of the view that it could not attend the meeting as the matters related to elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are being heard by various courts across the country.
As per details an uncertainty prevails over elections in both provinces, where assemblies were dissolved in January last, as the top election body and governors are reluctant to announce a date for the polls. Earlier this month, the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the ECP to hold consultation with Punjab Governor Baligh-ur-Rehman and announce a date for the elections. It also ruled that the polls should be held within 90 days.
Furthermore after no headway in the ECP and governor meeting, President Alvi sent a letter to the electoral body, inviting him to a meeting to discuss elections. In reply, the ECP sent a letter to the president on Sunday, stating that “the commission may not be able to enter into a process of consultation with the presidency as the matter was sub-judice at various judicial fora.”
Moreover the ECP letter, bearing the signatures of ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan, stated the final decision in that regard will be taken on Monday. It noted that the Constitution did not empower the ECP to fix a date for a general election to an assembly in case of dissolution. The ECP pointed out that after dissolution of both provincial assemblies, the commission approached governors of both provinces for appointment of a date for elections.
Meanwhile the letter maintained that the ECP delegation approached the governors of Punjab for appointment of poll date but the governor refrained from providing an election date. The letter concluded that the commission had utmost respect for the President’s office.
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