President Alvi asks ECP to immediately announce date for KP, Punjab polls
ISLAMABAD (MNP) – President Arif Alvi has asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to immediately announce the date of elections for provincial assemblies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab to “put an end to dangerous speculative propaganda”.
The president has written a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has been demanding the KP and Punjab governors, and ECP to announce date for elections since the dissolution of the provincial assemblies last month.
In the letter, Mr Alvi referred to the dissolution of the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and said “the election of an Assembly is to be held within 90 days of the dissolution as provided by the Article 224(2) of the Constitution”. He added that the conduct and holding of elections was the primary and essential duty of the ECP as per PART VIII of the Constitution, particularly Article 218 (3) which assigned the duty to the ECP to ensure the holding of fair and free elections.
He conveyed that it was ultimately the Commission which, if it failed to discharge its functions and duties, was to be held responsible and answerable for the violation of the Constitution of the country.
