The forthcoming general elections in Pakistan continue to be shrouded in uncertainty, with the Pakistan People’s Party dismissing the Election Commission of Pakistan’s announcement of holding the polls in the final week of January next year as “unconstitutional.” Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-N has refrained from taking a clear stance on the matter.
In response to this ambiguity, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has declared its intention to seek legal intervention in order to obtain a precise date for the upcoming general elections.
The Election Commission of Pakistan’s announcement of the election date came in the wake of its revelation that a preliminary list of constituencies, formulated as part of the ongoing delimitation process based on the new census, would be unveiled on September 27.
Following a thorough evaluation of the progress in the delimitation process, the Election Commission of Pakistan decided that the final list of electoral constituencies would be officially disclosed on November 30. This would be preceded by a period during which objections and suggestions related to the delimitation would be considered.
According to the Election Commission’s 54-day election schedule, the general elections were slated to occur in the last week of January 2024. However, sources familiar with the matter revealed that the Pakistan People’s Party rejected this announcement, insisting on a clear election date and schedule.
These sources further noted that PPP leaders had conveyed their reservations about the announcement to Chairman Bilawal Bhutto. They also mentioned that a decision had been made to convene a meeting of the Central Executive Committee upon Bilawal Bhutto’s return to the country. During this meeting, the CEC would deliberate on future courses of action in response to the Election Commission’s announcement.
The PPP firmly maintained that the Election Commission’s announcement was in violation of the constitution and therefore unacceptable.
