Tuesday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali proposed May 28 as the date for provincial elections to the Election Commission of Pakistan. (ECP).
The KP governor told reporters following a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja. “My job is to set the date for elections in the province. But conducting the elections is the responsibility of the election watchdog.”
According to the governor of KP, the meeting with election commission officials took place in a “good atmosphere.”
He called law and order a “real problem” and noted that KP police in Lakki Marwat were attacked.
“The election commission and government are bound to follow the Supreme Court’s orders,” he said, adding that “the people of KP have doubts about the province’s census.”
However, in the same media interview, Governor Ghulam stated that he “does not anticipate elections.”
Earlier in the day, the KP governor conferred with President Dr. Arif Alvi, who advised him to “immediately” notify the KP Assembly of the date for general elections to “avoid complications.”
According to a press release issued by the President’s Secretariat, the governor of KP met with Alvi today at the Aiwan-i-Sadr to discuss the conducting of general elections.
“The president advised Ali to implement the apex court’s order in letter and spirit wherein it had been directed that the KP governor, after consultation with the Election Commission of Pakistan, forthwith appoint a date for the holding of the general election to the provincial assembly to avoid any complication as almost a period of two weeks had already passed,” it said.
“The president emphasized the need for upholding the Constitution and holding general elections within the given period. Which had been mandated by the Constitution, further affirmed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. And it was essential for strengthening parliamentary democracy in the country,” the press release added.
KP’s fate is uncertain, even though Punjab’s poll date is 30 April.
The ECP will meet with the KP governor for a consultation regarding the date of the provincial assembly elections.
However, an official told that the governor of KP, who expressed interest in attending the ECP last week, was formally invited on March 14 but has not yet confirmed his attendance.
The Supreme Court ordered Punjab and KP assembly polls within 90 days on March 1. It had nevertheless permitted the ECP to propose a poll date that deviates from the 90-day deadline by the “bare minimum” in the event of practical difficulties.
It also ordered President Alvi and the KP governor to confer with the ECP on Punjab and KP assembly schedules.
Punjab, KP electoral limbo
In November of last year, former prime minister Imran Khan announced to a massive public gathering that his party would disassociate itself from the “current corrupt political system” by leaving the two provincial assemblies where the PTI was in power.
The Punjab and KP assemblies were dissolved on January 14 and January 18, respectively, despite the coalition government’s numerous obstacles. According to the law, elections must be conducted within ninety days of the dissolution of assemblies.
That means April 14 and April 17 were the deadlines for conducting general elections to the Punjab and KP assemblies. The two governors advised the ECP to consult stakeholders instead of setting election dates after getting the proposal.
The two regions’ chief secretaries and inspectors general complained to the ECP about police shortages. And terrorism concerns as justification for postponing elections.
The interior ministry notified the ECP that the army and civil armed forces will not be available.
President Alvi had invited CEC Raja to an urgent meeting on February 17 to discuss consultations on election dates. But the ECP informed him that he had no role in the proclamation of election dates to provincial assemblies. As this was the commission’s constitutional duty.
The president then arbitrarily set April 9 as the date for general elections for the Punjab and KP assemblies.
Political opponents accused him of acting like a PTI employee. While the ECP stated it would declare the election schedule only after the “competent authority” determines the date.
