President house rejects rumours regarding announcement of election date

ISLAMABAD, Sep 11 (DNA): President House has rejected the rumours regarding the announcement of general election date.

According to sources, the consultation process by President Arif Alvi is

underway however the rumours regarding the announcement of election date

are fake.

President Dr Arif Alvi held another meeting with caretaker Law Minister

Ahmad Irfan Aslam earlier today for consultation on general elections in

the country.

According to a statement, the meeting was held at Aiwan-i-Sadr in

Islamabad in continuation of the ongoing consultation process between

the president and the interim government on the electoral process.

“The continuation of the consultation process with good intent will be

positive for democracy in the country,” the president was quoted as

saying in the statement.

Sources said that Arif Alvi, during the meeting, mentioned the

presidential authority regarding giving the date of the general

election.

However, the Law Minister reiterated that it was the prerogative of

Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to announce date of the general

elections.

Sources further claimed that the minister also referred to the amendment

in the Election Act regarding announcement of elections date, saying

that if the President announces date, the Election Commission can reject

it.

In August, the Ministry of Law told President Arif Alvi that he has no

role in the announcement of date for general elections “following the

amendment in Elections Act”.

The law ministry forwarded its response to President Alvi’s letter,

seeking opinion on Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) stance that

“only it had the authority to decide the election date”.

In the letter, the Law Ministry said that the right of announcing the

date of election rests with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The development came after Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar

Sultan Raja responded to President Alvi’s letter for meeting to “fix an

appropriate date” for general elections, saying that participating in

such a meeting would be of “scant importance” after changes to the

election law.