Kanwar Dilshad, former chief secretary of the election commission on Thursday said that the ECP will release election schedule by November. He said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has currently been engaged in fresh delimitation exercise that could be concluded by November 20. “The constitution says the election should be held within 90 days after dissolution of assemblies,” former ECP official said. “A turmoil being created referring the 90 days’ condition repeatedly,” he added. Commenting on the President’s role, Dilshad said that he could only give his suggestion to the election commission.

Kanwar Dilshad earlier said he did not see the next general elections to be held before February 15, 2024, after the Council of Common Interest (CCI) approval of the Digital Census 2023. Talking to a private Tv news channel, the former ECP secretary pointed out that a fresh delimitation exercise, which takes around four to six months, would make it impossible to conduct the general polls due before October 12 this year.

He said that the ECP is legally bound to hold a fresh delimitation exercise, noting that the next elections are likely to be delayed till February 2024. In response to a question, Dilshad said that increasing the national and provincial assemblies’ seats was not possible without a two-thirds majority.

 Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)