Deepening political uncertainty in the country has now manifested itself in one of its ugliest forms: President Dr Arif Alvi has unilaterally announced April 9 as the date for holding general elections for the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies.
He has said a lot in the defense of his action that he has, according to him, taken after the Chief Election Commissioner’s (CEC’s) refusal to attend an ‘urgent meeting’ at the Presidency on the date for elections in two provinces.
The CEC, too, has ably defended his action. Piqued or encouraged by his party’s ally Sheikh Rashid’s ‘demand’, Dr Alvi seems to have announced the date for holding general elections for Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa unilaterally.
It is also important to note that the President has also criticized the governors of these two provinces for failing to play their role in accordance with the letter and spirit of constitution.
The question is whether or not the two provinces—Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab—have elections as per the date announced by the President of Pakistan. I have my doubts, so to speak.
His action will surely be challenged in the court of law. In my view, the eligible authority for announcing a date for the polls in a province is the governor under Article 105 of constitution.
Tufail Niazi (Islamabad)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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