In a noteworthy development, President Dr. Arif Alvi has proposed November 6th as the election date in a letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.
This proposal follows the dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9th, in accordance with the Prime Minister's advice.
The president's reference to Article 48(5) of the Constitution, which empowers him to designate an election date within 90 days of dissolution, aligns the suggested date with the 89th day, falling on Monday, November 6th, 2023.
While President Alvi sought to fulfill constitutional obligations by discussing implementation modalities with the Chief Election Commissioner, the CEC maintains that determining the election date falls within the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) jurisdiction.
This move by the president sparks a constitutional debate amid varying interpretations of election timelines and the ongoing digital census results notification, as per Section 17(2) of the Elections Act.
