Pakistan’s ruling party, the Pakistan Democratic Movement, and the opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have agreed to hold nationwide elections on the same day. The decision was made on Tuesday night after three talks between the negotiating teams of both sides took place at Parliament House in Islamabad.
Although the exact date for the general elections has yet to be agreed upon, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that both parties would hold simultaneous elections across the country. However, both sides have shown flexibility in their positions, hoping to move forward successfully.
Read: Government Officials and PTI Leaders Hold Talks on Simultaneous Elections
The discussions involved representatives from both parties, including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhary, Senator Ali Zafar from PTI, former Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Finance Minister Dar, and others from the government side.
Although there was no significant breakthrough, both parties agreed to respect the Constitution and work towards a compromise. PTI suggested a one-time exemption by amending the Constitution to allow simultaneous elections to be held 90 days after the dissolution of an assembly.
PTI proposed holding the elections between Eid ul Adha and the sacred month of Muharram, which falls between July and August. The party will submit its proposal to the Supreme Court, and both sides will consult their respective top leadership regarding the upcoming elections.
