ECP meets in Islamabad today to discuss way forward for Punjab, KP polls. ISLAMABAD/LAHORE - Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja has called a consultative meeting of the Election Commission of Pakistan regarding the general election of the Provincial Assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wednesday (today) at the Election Commission of Pakistan Secretariat, in Islamabad. According to the officials, the meeting will discuss the way forward for general elections of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assemblies. On the other hand, a consultative meeting held in Lahore between the Punjab Governor Muhammad Balighur Rehman and the senior officials of the Election Commission to fix a date for Punjab Assembly elections in the light of Lahore High judgment remained inconclusive as the governor expressed his inability to do so citing constitutional reasons.
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Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan Umar Hamid Khan, Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Punjab IG, Dr Usman, Principal Secretary to Governor Punjab, Barrister Nabil Awan, Special Secretary to Governor Punjab, Umar Saeed, Special Secretary to Election Commission, Zafar Iqbal, Director General (Law) Election Commission, Muhammad Arshad Khan, Additional Director General Election Commission, Syed Nadeem Haider, Deputy Director Coordinator Election Commission, Muhammad Nasir Khan, Director, Abdul Hameed, Deputy Director Huda Ali Gauhar attended the meeting held at the Governor The Election Commission told the governor that this consultative meeting was being held as per the order of the Lahore High court to decide about the date of holding general elections for the Punjab Assembly. According to details of the meeting released by the Election Commission, the governor maintained that since he had not dissolved the Punjab Assembly, he was not authorised to give the date of election under the Constitution. “In this situation, his suggestion would not be binding on the Election Commission”, stated the governor while asserting that he did not want to take any extra-constitutional and legal action.
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Apart from this, the governor also took the position that the Lahore High Court decision required interpretation for which he was taking the legal course so that the necessary interpretation of the constitution and law could be made. “Therefore, he did not give the date for Punjab Assembly elections,” according to the media release. Besides, the governor told the ECP representatives that the chief secretary and IG Punjab had already given a detailed briefing to the Election Commission regarding the financial and security issues of Punjab at the Election Commission Secretariat Islamabad on February 8, 2023; and hence there was no need of any fresh briefing from the two officials again in today’s advisory meeting. Also, a handout issued from the Governor House said that the meeting concluded with the remarks that some matters including some aspects of the consultative role of the governor in the Lahore High Court’s decision require clarification and interpretation for which the court will be approached after consultation with legal and constitutional experts. Sources privy to Tuesday’s meeting said that the Punjab governor would file an intra-court appeal against the LHC decision of February 10 directing the ECP and the governor to appoint a date for the Punjab Assembly elections
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