PPP demands elections within 90 days

Liaquat Ali

Islamabad: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Tuesday demanded the government to hold the general elections within 90 days in the country.

The PPP tabled its reservations during a meeting held with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja.

The party reiterated its resolve to hold general elections on time, saying that they should be held within the 90-day period as per the constitution.

On August 17, the electoral body announced the schedule of new delimitations to be carried out as per the new census approved by the Council of Common Interests (CCI) earlier this month.

The ECP schedule showed that fresh delimitation will take nearly four months, meaning the general elections in the country cannot be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the provincial and national assemblies.

Addressing a post-meeting press conference, PPP Vice President Sherry Rehman said that they had a meeting with the ECP in a pleasant environment during which they raised their reservations about the general elections.

“It s the electoral body’s responsibility to conduct the elections, however, the constitution says the polls should be held within 90 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly,” said Rehman.

Speaking on the occasion, PPP leader Nayyar Bukhari said that the constitution says elections should be conducted within the given time period.

“We will finalise our next action plan in the CEC meeting in Lahore,” said Bukhari.

Earlier today, the Jamaat-i-Islami also filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking general elections in the country within 90 days after dissolution of the National Assembly.

JI leader Liaquat Baloch filed the petition through his lawyer.

In the petition, the apex court was requested to issue order for holding general elections in the country within 90 days as per the constitution.

The court was further requested to order the Election Commission of Pakistan to issue election schedule, and relevant institutions must be directed to assist the commission in holding elections in the country.

The federal government, ECP and caretaker provincial governments made respondents in the petition.