Islamabad : Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali has announced May 28 as the date for elections in the province following a meeting with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and President Dr Arif Alvi. The decision was made after consultations with the ECP to avoid any complications as almost a period of two weeks had already passed by.
During the meeting, the President emphasized the need for upholding the Constitution and holding general elections within the given time period. He also directed Governor Ali to implement the top court’s order in letter and spirit where it is directed.
The KP Assembly was dissolved in mid-January and a caretaker setup was put in place to hold elections. However, a date was not finalized for the elections despite the Supreme Court’s orders. In a split verdict, the apex court ruled on March 1 that elections for KP and Punjab assemblies should be held within 90 days.
The two assemblies — KP and Punjab — where Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was in majority were dissolved on the directives of party chief Imran Khan to force the federal government to early general elections in the country.
The announcement of the election date comes after the meeting between the electoral body and senior officials including Governor Ali, which failed to finalize a date for the polls despite the orders given by the apex court. ( Islambad51-NewsDesk)
