ECP hints general elections may not be possible before May 2023

Islamabad: General elections may not be possible before May 2023, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) indicated on Tuesday. 

It says the census and delimitation must be conducted before the country could go to polls.

Accoridng to a press release issued by the ECP's Media Coordination and Outreach Wing, the commission said it had received a letter from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on April 18 stating that the seventh population and housing census would be initiated from August 1.

The ECP would be provided the results of the fresh census on December 31, the statement said.

In such a scenario, the delimitation of constituencies being conducted by the ECP on the basis of the 2017 census would become "irrelevant" and the electoral watchdog would be bound by the Constitution to start the process anew from January 1, 2023 -- which would require at least four months.

"Similarly, electoral lists will also need to be reviewed," the press release added.