ISLAMABAD: President Arif Alvi has set April 30 as the date for general elections in Punjab, just hours after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) proposed dates for the province’s elections as ordered by the Supreme Court (SC).
“President Dr. Arif Alvi has announced the date of 30th April 2023 (Sunday) for holding the general elections of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab,” tweeted the President’s office on Friday.
Dr Alvi’s office said that the decision was made by the president after “considering the dates proposed by the Election Commission of Pakistan”.
President Dr. Arif Alvi has announced the date of 30th April 2023 (Sunday) for holding the general elections of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab. pic.twitter.com/tktyD1hz73
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) March 3, 2023
Earlier today, the ECP recommended in a letter to President Alvi that the Punjab provincial assembly elections be held between April 30 and May 7.
The election commission met today for the third time in a row, with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja presiding.
“The commission is ready to fulfil its constitutional and legal obligations after the selection of a date by the president,” the letter stated.
The commission, however, stated in a letter to Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ghulam Ali that it was awaiting his response in light of the Supreme Court order.
The Punjab and KP assemblies were dissolved on January 14 and January 18, respectively, and elections were required to be held within 90 days of their dissolution under the law.
However, after the governors refused to set a polling date, the case was heard by the Supreme Court, which ordered the president to announce the election date after consulting with the commission.
It also ordered the governor of the KP to set an election date.
