Leading Pakistani party seeks immediate election date announcement to tackle political, economic crises

Pakistan Peoples Party, a major Pakistani political party, is pictured addressing the media after holding the Central Executive Committee meeting in Lahore, Pakistan on September 16, 2023. (@PPP_Org/Twitter)

• Bhutto-Zardari stresses economic relief for people without undermining Pakistan’s multilateral commitments
• He describes the electoral contest the only way out of the multifaceted crises faced by the country and its people

ISLAMABAD: The top leader of a major Pakistani political party on Friday asked the country’s election body to immediately announce the date for the next national polls, saying it was the only way to find a way out of economic and political crisis currently prevailing in Pakistan.

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari issued the statement while addressing the media after holding the Central Executive Committee meeting of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Lahore.

He said the top PPP leadership had long deliberations over the economic and political issues in the country, adding there was an agreement over the necessity of providing people relief from spiraling inflation, unemployment and poverty without taking irresponsible steps that could jeopardize the country’s multilateral commitments.

“The party had extensive discussion on constitutional matters, including an urgent need for dampening down the chronic political instability which will only settle down with the announcement of election date and schedule,” he said.

“The party’s constitutional lawyers also briefed the leadership on the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan to announce an election date and schedule immediately as the constitution required,” he added.

The election commission announced earlier this month it would announce the schedule for the national polls after finishing the delimitation of national and provincial constituencies by November 30.

The delimitation work was launched after the former administration of Shehbaz Sharif approved the results of a digital census carried out in April only a few days before the dissolution of the National Assembly.

According to the constitution, the election commission was required to hold the next electoral contest within 90 days that lapse in the beginning of November.

However, the delimitation exercise led to significant uncertainty regarding the general elections, creating political consternation in various circles since it became clear the popular vote would get significantly delayed in Pakistan and could be held somewhere in February.