Pakistan top court orders polls in two provinces within 90 days | Elections News
The Supreme Court said provincial council elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa must be held within three months.
Islamabad, Pakistan – The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ruled that provincial council elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa must be held within 90 days.
The five-member top court bench, led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, on Wednesday made a 3-2 split decision.
Councils in the two provinces are controlled by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. In January, Khan, in an effort to push for early elections, asked provincial governors disband the two councils.
Pakistan traditionally holds provincial and national elections together. The general poll is due in October of this year.
According to the Pakistani constitution, elections must be held within 90 days after the dissolution of the provincial council.
On February 21, President Arif Alvi, who is from PTI, unilaterally announced April 9 was election day in two provinces, creating a constitutional crisis, with experts wondering if he had the right to do so.
The highest court took the president’s announcement suo moto to determine which government agency has the constitutional responsibility for deciding the date of the vote.
More details to follow.