The Ministry of Defence on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court seeking elections across the country on the same date, Aaj News reported.
The ministry has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking the recall of an earlier order directing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold general elections in Punjab on May 14.
The federal government has long opposed the idea of holding separate general elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), in contrast to the court's April 4 ruling. The ministry's plea suggests that the polls for the National and all Provincial Assemblies be held together upon completion of the term of the National and the other two Provincial Assemblies.
The tenure of the National Assembly and the legislature of two other provinces, Sindh and Balochistan, will end later this year, and the government wants the polls to take place then, not in May.
The ECP had earlier postponed the polls in Punjab till October 8 due to the security situation and the non-provision of funds from the government. However, the Supreme Court ruled the decision unconstitutional and ordered the ECP to conduct the elections by May 14.
The government got a resolution passed through parliament against the verdict, stating that it would not provide funds to the ECP for polls.
The Supreme Court directed the State Bank of Pakistan to release Rs21 billion to the election commission for holding polls, but even after the deadline passed on April 17, the central bank did not release the funds.
As a result, the ECP has informed the court that the conduct of the election on May 14 is impossible due to the non-provision of funds and security forces for maintaining law and order.
With both the government and opposition at an impasse, Jamaat-e-Islami has proposed talks, and the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has formed a three-member committee to negotiate with the government. However, there is a divide among the ruling allies on holding talks with the opposition.
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