A letter from the Election Commission of Pakistan to the country’s President, Arif Alvi, has been exclusively accessed by CNN-News18.
In the communication, dated April 7, 2022, the EC says that it is committed to holding elections in Pakistan.
And the poll body has sought four months to complete all necessary procedures.
The development comes even as the Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial on Thursday said that national assembly deputy speaker Qasim Suri’s decision to dismiss a no-confidence motion against besieged Prime Minister Imran Khan through a controversial ruling is, prima facie, a violation of Article 95 of the country’s constitution.
The CJP, who is heading a five-member bench comprising Justices Ijazul Ahsan, Mohammad Ali Mazhar Miankhel, Munib Akhtar, and Jamal Khan Mandokhel, added that it was clear that the April 3 ruling was erroneous.
The opposition parties had on March 8 introduced a no-confidence motion in the parliament, seeking the ouster of Khan over charges of economic mismanagement. The PM seemed in trouble with the numbers not on his side.
Then, on April 3 (Sunday), Suri ruled that the no-trust vote was linked with a “foreign conspiracy” to topple the government and hence was not maintainable. Within minutes, President Arif Alvi dissolved the national assembly on the advice of the Prime Minister.
The opposition had then approached the Supreme Court.
In the letter, the Election Commission says that it needs to have consultations with all the stakeholders and political parties to move ahead with the poll process.
It also seeks time with the President to discuss further action.
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