ECP to recommend dates for general elections to President Alvi

Islamabad: An Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) delegation has reached the President’s House to consult President Dr Arif Alvi for finalising the general elections 2024 date following the Supreme Court’s (SC) directives on Thursday.

The President's House was visited by an ECP delegation led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja. DG Law, four members, and the ECP secretary make up the delegation.

According to the sources, the commission would suggest three dates to President Dr Arif Alvi.

The president is expected to agree on the election date in an important meeting today, sources added.

The general elections in the country will take place on February 11, 2024, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) notified the Supreme Court today.

"National elections shall take place subsequent to the delimitation process, which concludes on November 30," stated Sajeel Swati, the attorney for ECP, to the panel of three judges.

All preparations, including delimitation, will be finished by January 29, according to the ECP's attorney, who shared the schedule with the supreme court.

The attorney estimated that it would take three to five days to provide the final lists after outlining the delimitation procedure. He also said that January 29 is the date that results from counting 54 days starting on December 5.

The attorney stated that in order to facilitate voter participation, the ECP planned to hold polls on Sunday. According to this arrangement, he said, the first Sunday would have been on February 4 and the second on February 11.

The attorney stated, "We made the independent decision that elections should take place on Sunday, February 11th."

A three-member bench led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Athar Minallah heard the pleas.

The petitioners in the case, including the Supreme Court Bar, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and others pleaded that the general elections in the country should be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the assembly by the Constitution.

The Supreme Court (SC) directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to consult the president of Pakistan on the final election date.