Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) submitted a letter to the Supreme Court, urging it to enforce its order to hold elections in Punjab on May 14. The letter also stated that despite the parties’ best efforts, no constitutionally viable solution was found.
The PTI and the federal coalition wrapped up their final round of long-awaited election discussions the day before, which commenced last week following the Supreme Court’s advice. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, who led the government side, informed reporters that both sides agreed to hold national and provincial assembly elections on a single date under caretaker setups, but the date remains undecided.
PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi expressed disappointment that his party’s “practicable proposals” were not implemented.
Read: ECP Petitions Supreme Court to Review Punjab Election Date Directive
Today, PTI lawyers Faisal Chaudhry and Ali Bukhari submitted a report to the apex court regarding the government-PTI negotiations. The report detailed the parties’ consensus on the importance of dialogue between political parties and emphasized that political parties must resolve all political issues.
The PTI’s report recalled the Supreme Court’s earlier determination that elections for the assemblies must occur within 90 days, a constitutional mandate that cannot be changed by ordinary consent. However, the government insisted that national and provincial elections be held simultaneously in October 2023.
Following discussions, the PTI offered to hold nationwide elections on the same date under certain conditions, which the government rejected. The opposition party also highlighted a “lack of consensus” among stakeholders concerning the “implementation of the agreement.”
The PTI requested that the Supreme Court enforce its April 4 ruling, which mandated Punjab Assembly elections on May 14, 2023, to uphold the Constitution and prevent violations.
Read: Nationwide Elections in Pakistan: Ruling Party and Opposition Reach Agreement
 submits a letter to the Supreme Court, urging it to enforce its order to hold elections in Punjab on May 14 after negotiations fail to reach a constitutionally viable solution.){kind=link}