اردو
  • Governor invites ECP for consultation on KP election date

    Governor KPK Ghulam Ali File photo Governor KPK Ghulam Ali

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Ghulam Ali on Monday invited the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to initiate an “active and meaningful consultative process” regarding the elections for the provincial assembly.

    Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that the elections to the Punjab and KP assemblies should be held within the stipulated period of 90 days. It also held that President Dr Arif Alvi and the KP governor would fix dates for Punjab and KP assemblies, respectively, in consultation with the ECP.

    On Friday, the ECP had written separate letters to the president and the KP governor. In the letter to Alvi, the electoral watchdog proposed dates between April 30 and May 7 for the elections while it told the KP governor that it was awaiting his response regarding the date for polls in the province.

    It is pertinent to mention that President Alvi has announced that elections in Punjab will be held on April 30.

    In a letter addressed to the ECP today, the KP governor said he was “cognisant” of the apex court’s direction and was “obligated to honour it in letter and spirit”.

    The letter reproduced the relevant paragraphs of the SC order regarding the ECP’s availability to the governor for consultation on the election date and a direction to the electoral body to use its utmost efforts to immediately propose a date to the governor.

    Governor Ali said the ECP was “welcome to attend his office” on Tuesday (March 7) or Wednesday (March 8) at 11am so the consultative process could be initiated.

    Meanwhile, ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan told Dawn.com that the commission was “always ready” to hold elections. “We will engage with all institutions and I think everything will be okay in the country’s interests,” he added.