Ending a spell of uncertainty, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday told the Supreme Court that general elections will be held on February 11.
The ECP informed the SC about the general elections during a hearing on a clutch of petitions calling for elections within 90 days of the dissolution of the National Assembly. The assembly was dissolved by the former Shehbaz Sharif-led government on on August 9, following which Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar took over as the caretaker prime minister to oversee the elections and ensure a transition to the new government.
The general elections in Pakistan come after over a year of political and economic turmoil in the country. The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) coalition had been in a constant tussle with the Imran Khan-led Opposition party Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI). Khan and a host of top leaders are in jail with hundreds of cases against them which they say are politically motivated and are a result of the PML (N)-PPP government's alleged excesses. During this time, the economic situation of the country has also plunged and it has been banking on bailouts from Gulf countries and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
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The announcement of the general elections strengthened Pakistan's position in review talks with the IMF for the release of $710 million second tranche of a loan, reported PTI.
The agency reported, "The ECP announcement coincides with the review talks between Pakistan and the IMF for the release of USD 710 million second tranche of a USD 3 billion loan to the cash-strapped country to stabilise its debt-ridden economy. The clarity on the election date will strengthen the hands of the Ministry of Finance during the negotiations which started on Thursday, although the IMF has not explicitly attached any such condition."
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The ECP had earlier said the Pakistan general elections would be held in January 2024 but had not announced a specific date.
"The ECP had announced earlier that 54 days were needed to hold elections after the completion of the delimitation exercise by November 30, and the apex court bench asked the lawyer of the election body to clearly state the stance on the holding of elections in the country...The ECP also informed the court that the ECP would consult with President Arif Alvi on Thursday," reported PTI.
The issue of the election date had been dragging on for weeks that had led to a possibility of a constitutional crisis. The constitutions states that elections should take place within 90 days of the assembly's dissolution, but the ECP delayed the polls due the delimitation exercise that was due, which had to be held following the census held earlier this year.
