Daily Times

As the nation gears up for the upcoming general elections, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday requested permission from the district administration to hold a public gathering at Liberty Chowk in Lahore on October 15.

In a written application, the Central Punjab wing of the party approached the Lahore Deputy Commissioner to seek approval for the public gathering.

The objective of the gathering is to unveil the party’s election strategy to the general public ahead of the general elections. The PTI has also pledged to adhere to all legal requirements for hosting the rally.

A spokesperson for the party stressed that conducting general elections is a constitutional obligation, and it falls upon the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold elections within the mandated 90-day period following the dissolution of assemblies.

He reiterated that the state is subservient to the Constitution, which enshrines the free will of the people as the foundation of the political and governmental system. Any suspension of a part of the Constitution amounts to the suspension of the entire Constitution, which is a grave offence, the spokesperson maintained.

Regarding the conduct of elections, He emphasised that the Constitution does not grant any state institution, either independently or in conjunction with others, the authority to make decisions contrary to its intended purpose.

The spokesperson pointed out that the Constitution’s provisions regarding the five-year term of elected assemblies and the timely or premature dissolution of these assemblies are explicit and unequivocal.

In the event of a premature dissolution of the assembly, he said that the Constitution mandates the holding of elections within 90 days, adding that this interpretation has been affirmed by the Supreme Court and endorsed by President Dr Arif Alvi.

The Election Commission of Pakistan and the caretaker government now have a mere 34 days left to comply with the constitutional timeline, the spokesperson pointed out. He highlighted that the president, in a letter to the ECP, has already proposed November 9 as the election date. Any violation of the Constitution by delaying the elections beyond the stipulated 90 days would render the ECP and the caretaker prime minister, along with his cabinet, liable for violating the Constitution, subject to action under Article 6 of the Constitution.

The spokesperson suggested that Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Justice Qazi Faez Isa should proactively prevent any premature breach of the Constitution and oblige the ECP and the caretaker government to uphold the Constitution’s provisions.

The spokesperson concluded by stating that the nation would not tolerate any attempts to postpone the people’s right to vote.