ISLAMABAD : Feb 20,2023: President, Dr Arif Alvi , on Monday set a stage for a new constitutional crisis in the country by unilaterally declaring the date for holding general elections in the Punjab and Khyber Pukhtunkhaw (KPK) on April 9,2023.
President Alvi ‘s unilateral announcement for general elections in the KPK and Punjab got sharp reactions from the government and its ministers called the president’s declaration to hold general elections in the Punjab and KPK as meaningless and without any legal and constitutional authority .
Interior minister , Rana Sanaullah, in his media statement said president Alvi’s Monday announcement for holding general elections in the KPK and Punjab has no value. He gave the president a subtle threat of facing backlash for his such acts . Rana Sanaullah said President Arif Alvi should behave like a president of Pakistan and not as a member of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) tigger force.
Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz. (PML- N) senior vice president , Maryam Nawaz , in her reaction to the president Alvi’s announcement for holding general elections in the country on April 9 said “Mr Alvi’s announcement has no value . She said Mr Alvi’s act in this regard is disregard to the office of the president of Pakistan.
Meanwhile , the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has summoned an urgent meeting to review the legal and constitutional importance of the president announcement to hold general elections in the KPK and Punjab.
It’s likely that ECP will throw the president Alvi ‘s announcement in its dust bin and tell him after Tuesday’s meeting that it is not authority or mandate of the president to announce the date for any general elections.