ECP likely to fix Jan 28 for elections

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is considering setting January 28 as the date for the General Elections 2024, sources said on Friday.

The top electoral body, commencing its preparations for upcoming elections, is expected to apprise the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) in writing within the next two days, the sources added.

The ECP is set to apprise the SC after the top court sought the commission’s response in the case of timely elections.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, earlier this week, during the apex court’s hearing on the issue of timely elections, observed that it was “not possible” to meet the 90-day deadline for holding elections and lamented the lack of preparations of the petitioners.

The CJP’s remarks came as he is leading a three-member bench comprising himself, Justice Athar Minallah, and Justice Amin-Ud-Din Khan to hear the petitions filed by the Supreme Court Bar Association, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and others seeking elections within the 90-day constitutional limit. During the hearing, the SCBA lawyer apprised the court that the “90-day period will be completed on November 3”.

To this, CJP Isa inquired whether it would even be possible to hold the polls within 90 days, to which the lawyer conceded that even if the top court gives the order, even then it would not be possible to hold the elections within 90 days.