In recent news, Raja Riaz, former opposition leader, revealed that President Alvi suggested the date for the upcoming general elections in Pakistan under pressure from external forces.
Raja Riaz disclosed this information during a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, where they discussed the schedule for the upcoming elections.
In his statement, Raja Riaz clarified that the president did not officially announce the poll date but instead offered a suggested date for the elections.
Based on Raja Riaz’s observations, it is likely that the general elections will take place in mid-February 2024. However, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is yet to confirm the final poll date.
The controversy arose when President Arif Alvi recently suggested November 6, 2023, as the date for the general elections in a letter addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner. The President justified this suggestion by citing the dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9, 2023. According to the Constitution of Pakistan, the president has the authority to announce the date for the general election within ninety days of the assembly’s dissolution. Therefore, the election should ideally be held by the eighty-ninth day, which falls on Monday, November 6, 2023.
This announcement marks the end of months-long debate surrounding whether the President or the ECP holds the right to determine the date of the polls.