Former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said that it will make no difference if the general elections are delayed by eight to ten days, citing factors such as adverse weather conditions or the security situation in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).
Zardari asserted in an interview with a private news channel that the elections will take place sooner or later.
When asked if the date of the elections had already been announced and if he still believed that the polls could be delayed further than the scheduled date of February 8, the former president stated that the decision was solely with the Election Commission of Pakistan, emphasizing that neither he nor anyone else had any control over the matter.
He stated that the electoral watchdog was obligated by the Constitution to make any future announcements in this respect.
"If the elections are delayed by eight to 10 days, it doesn't make any difference," he said.
Zardari expressed confidence that the polls will take place, regardless of whether they are conducted on February 8 or any other day.
Weather conditions and ongoing conflicts, notably in the former Fata area, might play a role in the decision-making process, according to Zardari, who highlighted potential contributing factors that could postpone the elections.
The ECP has determined constituencies, and the election date of February 8 has been formally confirmed, following negotiations with President Arif Alvi and Supreme Court monitoring.
The proposal follows K-P Governor Ghulam Ali's recent statements about the challenges of conducting political activities in certain sections of the province and Balochistan owing to the current security situation.
Another PPP lawmaker, Abdul Qadir Baloch, had expressed similar reservations about the polls the day before.
Similarly, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also raised reservations about holding elections in the context of a "deteriorating" security scenario.