After a judicial order, the proposal to hold elections on February 8 has been presented. Following a meeting between the Chief Election Commissioner and the President of the country, an agreement has been reached on the polling date. The Election Commission has informed the Supreme Court that the elections will take place on February 11. After extensive consultations in the President’s House, a consensus was reached on the final announcement of the elections in the Supreme Court today.
During the Supreme Court hearing, the Chief Justice stated that the announcement of the election date will be set in stone, and the date specified will be acted upon. The President insisted that the matter be brought before the court for an opinion, but it did not proceed.
Supreme Court Sets February 8, 2024, as Pakistan’s General Election Date, According to reports, the President, the Chief Election Commissioner, and the Attorney General held a meeting that lasted over an hour. In the meeting, it was agreed to hold the general elections on February 8, 2024. The Election Commission will inform the Supreme Court about the date today.
Supreme Court Sets February 8, 2024, as Pakistan’s General Election Date, In a press release issued by the President’s office on social media platform X (Twitter), the Election Commission of Pakistan stated that a meeting was held between the Chief Election Commissioner, Sikander Sultan Raja, and the President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi. In the meeting, they mutually decided to conduct the general elections on February 8, 2024. The President of the country and the Chief Election Commissioner exchanged views on the date for future general elections after listening to the presentation regarding constituency delimitation and election-related matters. Following a detailed discussion, it was decided that the general elections would take place on February 8, 2024.
According to the Election Commission’s spokesperson, in the press release, it was stated that in light of the Supreme Court’s directive, the Chief Election Commissioner, Sikander Sultan Raja, along with members of the Election Commission of Pakistan, met with the President of Pakistan in the President’s House to discuss the election date.
It was mutually agreed upon that the elections will be held on February 8, 2024. Before this, the Election Commission had formally proposed the date of February 11 for the general elections to the President in writing. Previously, the Election Commission had submitted an approved schedule to the courts, which stated that the general elections would be held on February 11, 2024. Chief Justice Khawaja Faiz Isa had remarked that the Election Commission should announce the final date in accordance with the Supreme Court’s instructions.
He further stated that the President should seek the court’s opinion and not advise someone else. The text of his letter is also quite ambiguous. According to evidence presented by PTI’s lawyer, Barrister Ali Zafar, it was suggested that Article 6 would be invoked against the President.
A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Khawaja Faiz Isa, heard the case. During the hearing, PTI’s lawyer, Barrister Ali Zafar, argued that the elections should be held within 90 days and, according to the Constitution, they should take place at the scheduled time. The court also granted permission for the People’s Party to become a party to the case.
Ali Zafar stated that if the elections are not held, the Parliament will become unconstitutional, and laws cannot be made. Providing the election date and schedule are two separate matters. The matter of setting the election date is mentioned in the Constitution, and if the President reviews the assembly, he will provide the election date within 90 days.
The Chief Justice asked whether it is necessary for the President to consult with the Prime Minister to determine the date.
