ISLAMABAD  -  Pakistan People’s Party yesterday said that the general elections should be held within the constitutional limits.

The PPP maintained that elections must be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the National Assembly.

PPP leaders said the recent announcement by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding the forthcoming general elections has failed to address the concerns raised by the PPP.

PPP sources said that the PPP views the ECP’s announcement as ‘unconstitutional and unacceptable’ because they were anticipating the revelation of the exact election date. They asserted that the election commission should have unveiled the precise date and schedule for the polls.

“The date should be within 90 days. Constitutional limits must be respected,” one PPP leader said.

Earlier, the ECP declared that the general elections would take place in the last week of January 2024.

In an official statement, the ECP disclosed that it had reviewed the progress on delineating constituencies and had decided to release the initial list for constituency delimitation on September 27.

The final list for constituency delimitation is scheduled to be published on November 30, with general elections set to occur in the final week of January 2024, following a 54-day election timeline.

The ECP had been under significant pressure from political parties regarding the announcement of the election date.

This announcement came a day after the ECP announced plans to convene a meeting with political parties next month to discuss the code of conduct for the general elections.

Faisal Karim Kundi, the PPP Central Information Secretary, expressed concerns that despite their willingness to respect allied parties’ desire for elections within 90 days, the constitutional requirement for timely elections was not being met. 

“The Election Commission has not provided a schedule or a date for the elections, which is inadequate. The PPP believes in conducting elections in accordance with the constitution, even offering to hold them within 60 days. Properly announcing the election schedule and date is a crucial part of the constitutional process,” he added.