Pakistan Political Crisis: General Elections Not Possible Before October, Says Election Commission

The ECP expressed that keeping these reasons in view, polls are only possible in October this year.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan (File photo: AFP)

New Delhi: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday said that a general election not possible before October this year, as reported by news agency ANI.

As per ECP Spokesperson, the commission, in its letter to Pakistan President Arif Alvi, has fought that it requires four months to finish the delimitation as well as to organise general elections in 90 days, Radio Pakistan revealed.

The ECP expressed that keeping these reasons in view, polls are only possible in October this year.

ECP had said on Tuesday that it was ready to hold general elections in somewhere around 90 days, dismissing the reports which asserted that holding the electoral exercise was not possible in 90 days.

The political disturbance in the nation transformed into a constitutional crisis after Pakistan President Arif Alvi disintegrated the National Assembly after Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri dismissed the no-trust vote against the Imran Khan-drove government on Sunday last.

Pakistan resistance groups on Wednesday said that the dismissal of the no-certainty movement against the Imran Khan government by the National Assembly Deputy Speaker is an "attack on Parliament". 

Meanwhile today, the Supreme Court of Pakistan said that Deputy Speaker National Assembly's ruling was wrong over the no-trust vote against the then PM Imran Khan, as reported by news agency ANI.

Supreme Court of Pakistan remarks that Deputy Speaker National Assembly's ruling was wrong over no-trust vote against the then PM Imran Khan: Pakistan media

— ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2022

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday continued hearing into a suo-motu notice against the decision of Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri over a no-trust move against the then Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“The real question at hand is what happens next,” Pakistan daily Dawn quoted chief justice Umar Ata Bandial's remarks during the hearing. Adding that the top court would issue a verdict today, the CJP said, "We have to look at national interest."

The five-member larger bench of the apex court hearing the suo motu comprises Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel.

Amidst the political crisis, the hearing is being held on a petition filed against the order of the Deputy Speaker, in which the no-confidence motion against the Imran government was rejected. After this, the Parliament of Pakistan was also dissolved and there was a demand to hold elections within 90 days.