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PML-N leader Ifran Sidduqi (Left) and PPP Leader Nayyer Bukhari. — APP/FileIn a much-awaited announcement, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Thursday issued the date for general elections which will take place on February 11 across the country.
The announcement was welcomed by major political parties of the country — the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).
The date was announced by ECP's lawyer during a Supreme Court hearing of petitions seeking timely elections. A three-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa was conducting the hearing.
Welcoming the ECP's announcement, PPP's Nayyer Bukhari has said that his party has been calling for holding timely elections.
“Unelected individual or cabinet do not have right to rule the country… the elections should have been held within 90 days as per the Constitution,” he said while speaking to Geo News.
Bukhari said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is answerable to the people and the Supreme Court for not holding elections within 90 days of the dissolution of the assemblies.
Responding to a question, the PPP leader said the caretaker government’s conduct will establish whether all political parties are given a level playing field.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Ayaz Sadiq welcomed the announcement saying that it’s a positive development and that the process to hold elections has commenced.
However, he said fixing date polls is the mandate of the ECP.
PML-N leader Irfan Siddiqui told Geo News that the ECP announcement is a positive development as it will ensure stability in the country.
“I welcome this development even more because the announcement came from the Supreme Court which has increased its sanctity,” he remarked.
He said it would be difficult for the ECP to backtrack on this date since the poll date was shared with the country’s top court.
“We believe that elections will take on time,” he added.
MQM-P‘s Amin Ul Haque said that welcomed the ECP’s announcement to hold elections on February 11.
However, he added that to take the country forward democratic tradition must continue and for that free and fair elections must be held.
“MQM-P demands that the failure of the RTS system in 2018 and release of election results after 72 hours should be avoided in the next elections and all parties should get a level playing field,” said Haque.
Meanwhile, Awami National Party (ANP) leader Zahid Khan said the ECP was not sincere in holding elections.
He questioned why the ECP did not fix January 28 as the election date and announced the election schedule.
The ANP leader said the ECP is using delaying tactics and urged the Supreme Court to seek the election schedule from the ECP.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer Barrister Ali Zafar said the Supreme Court's decision on election delay case could be a "historic and game-changing".
"Supreme Court has said once date of election given it will be written in stone and shall not be changed. After Meeting between President and ECP InsAllah date will be announced hopefully today. This could be a historic and game changing decision by SC. Constitution is supreme," he wrote on X.
