Amid the ongoing political turmoil in Pakistan, the Pakistan President’s Secretariat has asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to propose dates for the general elections. As per a press release shared by Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Twitter, in a letter dated 5 April, the President’s Secretariat has asked the ECP to propose dates for holding general elections within 90 days from the date of dissolution of the National Assembly, that is, 3 April, in accordance with the provisions of the country’s constitution. “ECP has been conveyed that clause 5 (A) of the Article 48 and clause 2 of Article 224 of the Constitution provide that the President shall appoint a date, not later than ninety days from the date of dissolution of the National Assembly, for holding general elections to the National Assembly,” reads the release.
It further said that as per the Elections Act 2017, a consultation with the ECP is required to announce the date of general elections.
On Sunday, Alvi dissolved the Pakistani parliament following Prim Minister Imran Khan’s advice. Imran Khan made the proposal minutes after Parliament’s Deputy Speaker rejected a motion of no confidence in him as “unconstitutional.” Meanwhile, Imran Khan will continue as the Prime Minister until the caretaker Prime Minister is appointed, said the President as the SC is looking into the matter of National Assembly dissolution.
Meanwhile, taking to Twitter on Wednesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan called the public to protest against the foreign power that is interfering in Pakistan’s sovereignty and indirectly compared the opposition parties to Mir Jafar and Mir Sadiq. “The people are always the strongest defenders of a country’s sovereignty & democracy. It is the people who must come out and defend against this latest and biggest assault on Pakistan’s sovereignty and democracy by a foreign power thru local collaborators—our Mir Jafar & Mir Sadiq,” PM Imran Khan tweeted. Mir Sadiq was a minister of Tipu Sultan of Mysore. In the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1798-99, he betrayed Tipu Sultan during the siege of Srirangapatnam, paving the way for a British victory. Mir Jafar served as the commander of the Bengal army under Siraj ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal and betrayed him during the Battle of Plassey, paving way for British rule in India.