Caretaker law ministers from the interim federal and all provincial governments resolved on Wednesday that per the Constitution, the Election Commission of Pakistan was alone empowered to conduct the general elections and to announce a date for it.
The resolution came days after Federal Caretaker Law Minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam held a second round of talks with President Dr Arif Alvi over the upcoming general elections. Dr Alvi is believed to be making up his mind on unilaterally announcing the date for elections as per his powers under the Constitution - powers which were clipped in this instance from a law passed earlier in the summer.
On Wednesday, Aslam convened a meeting with Provincial Law Ministers, including Kanwar Dilshad (Punjab), Muhammad Omer Soomro (Sindh), Arshad Hussain Shah (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Amanullah Kanrani (Balochistan), to discuss the upcoming general elections for the national and provincial assemblies.
During the meeting, all law ministers underscored the importance of upholding the principles of democracy and ensuring the smooth conduct of elections. It was unanimously agreed that the Constitution must be read as a whole, and no provision must be read in isolation from other relevant provisions.
Per the Constitution, the conduct of general elections and announcement of a date for elections is the sole competence of the Election Commission of Pakistan.
The provincial law ministers emphasised that to strengthen the federation and to ensure harmony amongst all the federating units while avoiding unnecessary financial burden on the national exchequer - incurred due to the provision of security arrangements on different election dates - general elections for the national and the four provincial assemblies must be held on the same day.
They agreed that the Election Commission of Pakistan is an independent, constitutional body and that it is the responsibility of all organs of the State to respect the autonomy of the election commission and its authority in carrying out delimitation of constituencies and determining the election schedule.
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 remain dedicated to promoting a democratic and inclusive electoral environment," read a statement issued after the meeting.