Only ECP has power to hold general elections, announce date: law ministers

ISLAMABAD (92 News) - Minister for Law and Justice Ahmad Irfan Aslam convened a meeting with Provincial Law Ministers Kanwar Dilshad (Punjab), Muhammad Omer Soomro (Sindh), Arshad Hussain Shah (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Amanullah Kanrani (Balochistan) to discuss matters pertaining to the upcoming general elections to the National and Provincial Assemblies.

During the meeting, all law ministers underscored the importance of upholding the principles of democracy and ensuring smooth conduct of elections. It was unanimously agreed that the constitution must be read as a whole and no provision of the constitution must be read in isolation of other relevant provisions. "As per the constitution, the conduct of general elections and announcement of elections date is the sole competence of the Election Commission of Pakistan," they said.

The provincial law ministers emphasized that in order to strengthen the Federation, to ensure harmony among all federating units and to avoid unnecessary financial burden on the national exchequer incurred owing to provision of security arrangements on different election dates, the general elections to the National and the four provincial assemblies must be held on same day.

"The Election Commission of Pakistan is as an independent constitutional body. It is the responsibility of all organs of the state to respect its autonomy and authority in carrying out delimitation of constituencies and determining the election schedule," the ministers stated.

The discussion highlighted the government’s commitment to ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections in Pakistan, adhering to the principles of democratic governance. The federal and provincial governments remains dedicated in promoting a democratic and inclusive electoral environment.