The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday invited Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Haji Ghulam Ali to Islamabad to hold a final round of consultations with its officials over the election date, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.  

The governor will now visit Islamabad for the purpose on March 14. 

On the other hand, the Governor House in Peshawar confirmed that the letter had been received.   

The meeting between a delegation of the Election Commission of Pakistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali in Peshawar yesterday (Wednesday, March 8, 2023) remained inconclusive as the latter failed to give any date for elections to the provincial assembly, sources told 24News.

The governor will hold another meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja next week, sources added.

The ECP delegation comprised of secretary election commission, special secretary and the DG law. The ECP delegation gave briefing to the KP Governor.  

The ECP issued a statement after the conclusion of meeting between the commission’s delegation and the KP governor. 

According to the statement, the governor is responsible to give date for elections in the province. It is mandatory to hold elections within or less than 90 days (after the dissolution of the provincial assembly). 

The governor has been told that the commission is making preparations for the elections. 

The statement further reads that the ECP is in contact with the interim setup in the province and security institutions. It also says that the matter will be finalized soon.

A few days ago, the Supreme Court had announced its verdict after two-day long proceedings in the case of delay in the announcement of date for elections in Punjab and KP.

The apex court had ordered that elections in both assemblies should be held within the next 90 days, with the chief justice saying that "democracy cannot exist without assemblies".

Following the top court's decision, the ECP had written a letter to the KP governor seeking a date for the elections, to which Ghulam Ali responded on Monday.

The governor said that he would evaluate the situation and set a date for the provincial assembly elections following consultation with the ECP officials.

Reporter: Amir Shahzad