The Supreme Court ordered the election commission officials to meet with President Arif Alvi, and they did so on Thursday. This put an end to the uncertainty surrounding the eagerly anticipated elections in the cash-strapped nation and announced that they would take place on February 8.
Just hours after the lawyer for the election commission informed the Supreme Court that elections would take place on February 11, the President’s House announced the new date in a statement, following a meeting between President Alvi and top election officials.
The President’s Office stated that Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan, and four electoral body members met with Alvi to discuss the date of the general elections on the Supreme Court’s orders.
“The President heard about the progress the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has made in delimitation and for elections. After a detailed discussion, the meeting unanimously agreed to hold general elections in the country on February 8, 2024,” it added.
Prior to the Supreme Court hearing on petitions requesting that elections be held within ninety days following the dissolution of the National Assembly and provincial legislatures, the ECP informed the court about the date of February 11.
Although the IMF has not specifically stated so, the Ministry of Finance will have more leverage during the talks, which got underway on Thursday, if the election date is clear.
After the National Assembly was dissolved on August 9, there was much wrangling over the election date. The polls were supposed to take place in 90 days, but the ECP postponed it so they could finalise the electoral districts in light of the recent census.
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