ISLAMABAD: With criticism mounting on it over delay in holding the general elections, the electoral entity has once again invited the political parties, this time for consultations over proposed code of conduct for the general polls, next month.

To this effect, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sent out invitations to the heads of political parties on Wednesday for the said meeting on October 4.

This is the second time in less than a month that the poll entity has invited the political parties for consultations over issues involving general elections.

Last month, the ECP held separate meetings with political parties to discuss the matters related to general polls. In these meetings, several political parties lambasted the ECP for launching the controversial drive to delimit the constituencies of the assemblies without taking any political party on board. It was only after the commission faced massive criticism that it announced to revise the completion of delimitation drive from December 14 to November 30.

The existing scenario indicates that the general elections may not be held before March next year—and that too in case ECP proceeds to hold preparations for general elections in as early as 90 days— immediately after the completion of the delimitation exercise.

Article 224(2) provides that when the National Assembly or a provincial assembly is dissolved, a general election to the assembly shall be held within a period of 90 days after the dissolution, and the results of the election shall be declared not later than 14 days after the conclusion of the polls.

Constitutionally, the cut-off date for holding general elections is November 7.

The National, Sindh and Balochistan legislatures were dissolved last month and those of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were dissolved in January this year.

Last week, the ECP instructed its delimitation committees to complete their work by this September 26 – in order to publish the preliminary delimitation report the next day (September 27).

Previously, the preliminary delimitation report was scheduled to publish on October 9 that has now been revised to September 26.

Mainstream political parties including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Balochistan National Party (BNP) and Awami National Party (ANP) have categorically supported timely polls’ demand.

However, the ECP has failed to issue the elections’ schedule and has decided that the related schedule would be issued only after the completion of the delimitation drive.

Few days back, President Dr Arif Alvi, in a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, recommended November 6 as the date for holding general polls in the country. But, the CEC, so far, has failed to respond to the president’s letter.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023