General elections postponed by a minimum of 6 months

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has postponed upcoming elections due to challenges in meeting the constitutional 90-day timeframe.

The upcoming elections have been postponed due to challenges in adhering to the 90-day constitutional timeframe. This decision is largely driven by the necessity to implement a new delimitation process after the release of the much-anticipated digital census results.

It was reported that the objective of this process is to accurately redefine constituencies based on current population distribution, ensuring equitable representation and power-sharing.

As a result of the ongoing delimitation efforts, the elections, initially slated for the next three months, are facing delays. The ECP officially declared that elections will not occur until at least December 14. Following this date, a fresh election schedule, possibly spanning another three months, will be disclosed.

The general elections were initially scheduled for May of the current year, but were previously deferred by the PDM government. While constitutional obligations stipulate that elections must occur within 90 days after a government’s departure, which transpired earlier this month, the ECP has now confirmed the impracticality of this timeline—an assertion it has been making since last year.

This postponement is anticipated to introduce greater political uncertainty, leaving the nation anxiously anticipating the unveiling of the revised election timetable.

Earlier, President Arif Alvi formally signed the summary for the dissolution of the National Assembly (NA).

“The president dissolved the National Assembly on the advice of the prime minister under Article 58-1 of the Constitution,” read an official statement issued by the President’s Office on X, formerly known as Twitter, late Wednesday.

The move follows a proposal by the Prime Minister, signaling a crucial step in the country’s political landscape. The President’s approval marks the transition into a new phase of political activity, triggering preparations for upcoming elections.