"The Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday told the country's Supreme Court that the much-awaited general election will be held on February 11th next year. This follows the dispute regarding the timing of the upcoming polls on whether the polls should be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the National Assembly and provincial legislatures. The Election Commission of Pakistan's Council, Sajil Swati, said the process of drawing constituencies would be completed by January 29th, paving the way for the polls. He said this as the Apex Court resumed hearing on a set of petitions calling for holding elections within 90 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly and the provincial legislature.
A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Kazi F Isa, Justice Aminudin Khan, and Justice At Minala took up the pleas moved by the Supreme Court Bar Association, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and others. During the hearing, the PTI's lawyer, Barrister Ali Zafar, argued that elections should be held within the 90-day period. However, CJP Isa noted that this request had become ineffective. Zafar contended that the delay in holding elections was a violation of fundamental rights. The PTI's chosen Pakistan President had initially proposed elections to be held by November 6th, but the Ministry of Law and Justice clarified that the authority to announce the election date rests with the ECP, not the President.
The country's Apex Court is now faced with the task of resolving this dispute, weighing the role of the President and the ECP in setting the election date. Six years ago, Nawaz Sharif, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz leader and three-times Prime Minister, was ousted from power after he fell out with the powerful military establishment. In the subsequent election, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf of Imran Khan, then a darling of the establishment, was voted to power. Mr. Sharif was disqualified and jailed while his party accused the military of rigging the election in favor of the PTI. In 2019, he went into exile in London.
Four years later, the situation has changed dramatically. Mr. Khan, who was ousted from power last year, is now in jail and a critic of the military, and Mr. Sharif, once a favorite of the generals, returned last week amid fanfare. So Pakistan is back to the present when Mr. Sharif returns to the country, probably in understanding with the generals ahead of the general elections. He wants power, and the generals want to sideline the newcomer Mr. Khan and dismantle his party, PML-N. Now, hopes that Nawaz Sharif revives the party ahead of the elections. For Mr. Sharif, the support of the generals is necessary to vacate the cases he faces and have his disqualification lifted. But the road ahead is tough."
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