The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has invited Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Ghulam Ali for a final consultation to discuss a possible date for the upcoming provincial assembly elections.
The ECP and the governor were unable to reach a consensus during their meeting on Wednesday at the Governor’s House in Peshawar. In a letter sent by the commission to the governor, the commission invited him to the ECP’s headquarters in Islamabad on March 14, 2023, at 2 p.m.
However, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party has served a legal notice to the governor, demanding that he fix a date for the elections or face legal consequences.
The notice stated that the governor had dissolved the KP Assembly but had not set a date for the elections, which were required by Article 105 of the Constitution to be held within 90 days of the date of the dissolution.
If the governor does not provide a date within six hours, the PTI legal team has threatened to file a treason case against him.
The notice also called attention to the governor’s inappropriate and unjustified comments, which he made in accordance with the Supreme Court’s instructions. It also forewarned the governor that if he didn’t give a date, he would be subject to legal and constitutional actions at his expense and risk.
The legal team for the PTI has additionally threatened to file a petition with the Peshawar High Court asking the court to order the federal government to report the governor for flagrantly violating Article 6 of the Constitution.
The governor voiced concerns about the state of law and order in the province when the ECP proposed holding the KP provincial assembly elections between April 9 and 17. Before settling on a date for the elections, he advised the ECP to consult with all pertinent parties.
A meeting was held on February 22 with the caretaker provincial government to discuss the assessment of the security situation in the province. The elections in KP’s merged and settled districts would take place concurrently, and the caretaker CM was informed that the police force on hand was insufficient.
The governor and the ECP are unable to agree on a date for the upcoming provincial assembly elections, so the political climate in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is still tense.
The elections were supposed to take place within 90 days of the dissolution of the KP Assembly, and the PTI party has warned the governor of legal repercussions if he does not announce a date.
