President Alvi discusses 'election matters' with interim law minister

President Dr Arif Alvi discussed "election matters" with caretaker Law Minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam on Monday and stressed the need to make decisions in accordance with “the spirit of the Constitution," a statement issued by the President House said.

During his meeting with the interim minister at Aiwan-i-Sadr, Alvi stressed the need to "uphold the supremacy of the Constitution."

President Alvi's meeting takes place in the midst of institutional stakeholders being unable to agree on an election date.

In an earlier letter to the CEC, the president requested a meeting to "fix an appropriate date" for general elections.

Sikandar Sultan Raja, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), declined President Alvi's request for a date for elections in his response.

He claimed that the ECP alone is responsible for choosing the date of the general elections.

Later, the president requested a response to the ECP's assertion that it alone had the power to announce the election date.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said on Sunday that deciding the date for general elections was the ECP prerogative.

When asked about the ambiguity on whether the authority to decide and announce the poll date rested with the president or the ECP, he said that the ECP is the only body empowered to hold elections in the country and that the president has no role in the matter.