Dawood Ahmed:
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan has announced to hold the general elections on February 11, 2024 across the country.
The electoral body’s counsel, Sajeel Swati, said the process of drawing constituencies would be completed by Jan 29 paving the way for polls. He made this revelation as the apex court resumed hearing a set of petitions calling for holding elections within 90 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly and the provincial legislatures.
A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan and Justice Athar Minallah took up the pleas moved by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), the PTI, Munir Ahmad and Ibad-ur-Rehman.
He directed Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan to arrange the meeting, provide Alvi with the court order and be available to render assistance.
“We expect that the matter of appointing a date for holding general elections shall be settled, and this court will be informed tomorrow (Nov 3),” Justice Isa added.
The order was issued after a three-judge bench comprising the CJP, Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan and Justice Athar Minallah heard a set of petitions calling for holding elections within 90 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly and the provincial legislatures.
At the previous hearing, the court had issued notices to the election commission and the federal government for their input on polls within 90 days.
During today’s hearing, Justice Isa sought a clear stance from the electoral body on polls to which the ECP lawyer said there was a 54-day schedule after the delimitation process. “All arrangements including the drawing of constituencies will be completed by Jan 29,” Sajeel Swati said, adding that the final list of constituencies will be published on Dec 5.
