Pakistan to hold general elections on time in January 2024: Poll body

Islamabad, Oct 27 (IANS) The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said the crucial general elections in the country will be held on time, highlighting that there was no possibility of a delay in the polls scheduled to be held in the last week of January 2024.

"All the preparations have been completed for the elections," the ECP said in a statement LATE Thursday, adding that after the publication of the delimitation of constituencies, the election schedule will be announced soon, reports Xinhua news agency.

"The first phase of delimitation has been completed and the second phase of filing objections will be completed by tomorrow (Friday)," it said

The poll body added that would start hearing objections regarding the preliminary delimitation from October 30 and 31.

In this regard, a final list would be published on November 30, the ECP noted.

The Commission said the general elections schedule will be announced after the final publication of constituencies, and there is no ambiguity in the decisions of the ECP.

In Pakistan, general elections are scheduled to take place in less than 90 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly.

On August 10, it was prematurely dissolved by President Arif Alvi on the advice of then Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

This meant that the election must be held no later than November.

But on August 5, results of the 2023 digital census were approved by the Council of Common Interests, thereby delaying the polls until February 2024 at the latest.