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President summons CEC to fix ‘appropriate date’ for general election

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  • Alvi asks Raja to meet him today or tomorrow. 
  • Summons for meeting sent to CEC in letter. 
  • President reminds CEC of Article 48.


ISLAMABAD: President Arif Alvi on Wednesday invited Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja to hold a meeting with him today or tomorrow to fix an “appropriate date” for the general elections.

In a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) head, the president informed CEC Raja that it is liable to him to appoint a date for the elections under Article 48 (5) of the Constitution no later than 90 from the date of dissolution of the assembly.

“Foregoing in view, the chief election commissioner is invited for a meeting with the president today or tomorrow to fix an appropriate date,” stated the letter.

The Shehbaz Sharif-led government dissolved the National Assembly on August 9, while Sindh and Balochistan assemblies were also prematurely dissolved to allow the electoral authority to hold elections in the country within 90 days instead of 60 days if the legislature completed its constitutional tenure.

However, the ECP may not be able to hold the polls within the stipulated time as the Council of Common Interest (CCI), days before the dissolution of the assemblies, approved the 7th Population and Housing Census 2023.

The CCI meeting chaired by then-prime minister Shehbaz Sharif approved the final results of the census reporting the country’s population at 241.49 million with a growth rate of 2.55%.

The CCI approval made it constitutionally mandatory for the poll watchdog to hold elections following fresh delimitations in the light of the results of the 7th census.

According to Article 51 (5) of the Constitution, the seats of the National Assembly to each province and the federal capital shall be allocated on the basis of population in accordance with the last preceding census officially published.

Subsequently, on August 17, the ECP announced the schedule of new delimitations to be carried out as per the new census approved by the CCI.

As per the schedule, the new delimitation of constituencies nationwide will be notified in December this year.

The ECP schedule showed that fresh delimitation will take nearly four months, meaning the general elections in the country cannot be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the provincial and national assemblies.

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Fazlur Rehman wants new elections to be held.

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Speaking to a crowd in Karachi, Maulana Fazlur Rehman claimed that meetings were “sold.” “President House and the Sindh Assembly were also sold,” he continued.

The head of JUI-F insisted on holding fresh elections right away in order to preserve the integrity of the democratic process.

He went on, “The results of the most recent elections are unacceptable and they were rigged.” In order to guarantee that the people’s opinion is heard and their mandate is honored, the JUI-chief called for new elections.

Additionally, Maulana Fazlur Rehman criticized the federal government’s foreign policy, including its position on Israel and Palestine. He declared, “We are being punished for standing with Palestine and against Israel.”

Speaking before a public assembly in Karachi, Maulana Fazlur Rehman asserted that gatherings were “sold”. He added, “Sindh Assembly and President House were sold.”

In order to safeguard the democratic process, the chairman of JUI-F asked that new elections be held immediately.

“It’s unacceptable that the results of the recent elections were rigged,” he stated. The JUI-chief demanded fresh elections in order to give the people’s voice a chance to be heard and their mandate to be respected.

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In the Toshakhana case, the PTI founder contests the NAB notification.

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The Islamabad High Court (IHC) was asked to set aside the NAB notice in a plea submitted by Imran Khan’s representatives, Salman Safdar, Usman Riaz, and Khalid Yousaf, according to the information.

Regarding the Toshakhana issue, NAB Rawalpindi called the PTI founder, who is detained, and his spouse, Bushra Bibi, on April 16.

Bushra Bibi, the former first lady of Pakistan, and Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), were the subject of a new investigation by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) yesterday.

In a letter to the deputy superintendent of Adiala Jail and call-up notices to Imran and Bushra, the anti-graft body also asked for their attendance during the research.

Case of Toshakhana
In the Toshakhana case, an Accountability Court (AC) on January 31 imposed a 14-year prison sentence on the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and his spouse, Bushra Bibi.

AC Judge Muhammad Bashir delivered the decision. For ten years, the founder of PTI and his spouse were likewise prohibited from holding any public office.

A Rs. 787 million fine was also imposed by the judge.

Prior to this, in connection with the cipher case, Khan and his foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi received 10-year prison sentences under the Official Secrets Act.

In a case concerning their marriage during the latter’s Iddat period, they were each given seven years in prison one day later.

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US Ambassador Donald Blome praises Maryam’s portrayal of the Chief Minister of Punjab.

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According to information, Maryam Nawaz was congratulated by the US envoy on being the first female Chief Minister of Punjab during their meeting.

America’s goal to deepen economic relations with Pakistan, especially in the areas of manufacturing, IT, and agriculture, was conveyed by Ambassador Bloom. Maryam’s people-oriented efforts and initiatives were commended by him, who called them “commendable”.

The ambassador received assurances from Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz that Punjab will offer a safe haven for US investment. She emphasised that a stable administration is essential to guiding Pakistan out of its economic crisis and welcomed US engagement in a number of areas.

The Chief Minister also emphasised how her government’s economic initiatives had reduced inflation.

That Maryam Nawaz and Donald Bloome are meeting for the second time is worth mentioning. It was before to her election as Punjab’s Chief Minister that the first meeting was held.

At Maryam Nawaz’s home in Murree, Senior Vice President of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, Donald Blome, the US Ambassador to Pakistan, had a meeting.

They talked on the value of cooperation in a number of sectors, including as commerce, the economy, security, peace, and regional stability, according to the details.

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