President Arif Alvi invited Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja to an “urgent meeting” on February 20 to discuss the date or dates of the country’s upcoming general elections.
Section 57(1) of the Elections Act of 2017 mandates that the president declares the date or dates of general elections after consulting with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
In his letter to the CEC, President Alvi noted that significant developments had occurred since his letter of February 8, including the Lahore High Court (LHC) order directing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to announce the date for elections in Punjab without delay and recent Supreme Court observations.
In addition, he complained about the watchdog’s inactivity and inaction in not replying to his last letter.
Although he had “waited impatiently for the ECP to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities and act properly,” the president said he was “very dissatisfied” with the election watchdog’s response to this crucial problem.
In his letter to the ECP, President Alvi reminded them that he had asked the CEC to an urgent meeting on the subject because he was conscious of his constitutional obligation to enforce, defend, and safeguard the Constitution.
Earlier this month, the president had urged the electoral watchdog to “quickly declare” the election dates for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Punjab, warning that any delays would “create major long-term consequences for democracy.”
In addition, President Alvi highlighted the need to end “hazardous speculative misinformation” about provincial assembly and general elections.
In a letter to the CEC, the president stressed the “relevant articles of the Constitution” following the “dissolution of two provincial assemblies” and the subsequent holding of elections.
 Sikandar Sultan Raja to an "urgent meeting" on February 20 to discuss the date or dates of the country's upcoming general elections.){kind=link}