The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday ruled out the possibility of a delay in the elections and assured that a schedule will be issued after the process of delimitation of constituencies is completed.
“After the publication of the delimitation of constituencies, the election schedule will be announced. There is no chance of a delay in the elections,” said the ECP spokesperson in a statement.
The spokesperson said that all the preparations have been completed for the elections. He said that the first phase of the delimitation process has been completed, and the second one will conclude once the objections to the preliminary delimitations are filed.
According to the spokesperson, the ECP will begin accepting objections to the delimitation from October 30 to November 31. On November 30, the final list will be released, he added.
"The election schedule will be made public upon the final constituency release. The Election Commission's rulings are clear and unambiguous," he added.
The ECP's announcement follows President Dr. Arif Alvi's statement a day earlier, in which he expressed doubts about the general elections occurring in January of next year while also calling for transparent polling procedures when they are held.
A number of political analysts have expressed concern regarding a potential delay in elections. They have pointed out that no political party appears to be in "election mode" and that politicians have also issued advisories regarding "harsh weather" that could interfere with the polling process.
Political unrest has engulfed the country following the removal of the Imran Khan government in April 2022 due to a motion of no-confidence.