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, ARY News reported on Thursday.
An ECP delegation headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja reached the President’s House. The delegation members include the ECP secretary, four members and DG Law.
Sources told ARY News that 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.
READ: PTI files amended petition in Supreme Court on election date
The development came after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) today informed the Supreme Court that the general elections in the country will be held on February 11, 2024.
“Elections in the country will be held in the country after completion of delimitation on November 30,” ECP’s lawyer Sajeel Swati told the three-member bench.
The ECP’s lawyer, while sharing the schedule with the apex court, said that all arrangements including delimitation will be completed by January 29.
Explaining the delimitation process, the lawyer said it would take them 3 to 5 days to issue the final lists. He added that if 54 days are counted from December 5 then we get January 29 date.
Read: Election case: SC asks ECP to consult president on final election date
The lawyer said that the ECP was looking to hold the polls on Sunday to make it easier for the people to participate in the elections. He added that under this plan the first Sunday would have fallen on February 4 and the second would be on February 11.
“We decided on our own that elections should be held on Sunday, February 11,” said the lawyer.
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.
