<\/p>\n
PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar on Friday asserted that the demand for holding generals elections within 90 days of the National Assembly\u2019s dissolution was \u201cunconstitutional\u201d after the approval of the census.<\/p>\n
His remarks come a day after President Dr Arif Alvi and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) reached an agreement<\/a> on holding polls across the country on February 8, 2024 \u2014 a date that exceeds the constitutional timeframe of 90 days by two months \u2014 after the top court issued directives.<\/p>\n Since the National Assembly was dissolved<\/a> three days before the end of its constitutional term, Article 224 of the Constitution<\/a> mandates that elections be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the assembly (by November 7).<\/p>\n But at the same time, Section 17(2) of the Elections Act<\/a> states that \u201cthe commission shall delimit constituencies after every census is officially published<\/a>\u201d. The Council of Common Interests (CCI) had approved<\/a> the results of the 2023 digital census on August 5.<\/p>\n The ECP had earlier ruled out<\/a> polls this year citing the need for fresh delimitation of constituencies. In September, it had announced<\/a> that elections would be held in January 2024 but had stopped short of giving a date.<\/p>\n A discussion was held on the date for the general elections during today\u2019s Senate session which saw PTI Senator Shahzad Waseem insisting that elections should have been held within 90 days as per the Constitution and criticising the previous government for impeding polls.<\/p>\n However, Dar \u2014 who served as the finance minister during the tenure of the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government \u2014 acknowledged the Constitution stated that polls should be held within the 90-day timeframe but also said that \u201cother articles also need to be considered\u201d.<\/p>\n