ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, Murtaza Solangi has said that there were no directives either from the Prime Minister or the federal cabinet for delay in general elections being scheduled on February 8, 2024.
Solangi said this here on Friday, while talking to the media outside the Parliament House adding that he did not get a chance to present his arguments in the resolution on the postponement of the elections in the upper house.
According to Article 218(3) of the Constitution, it was the power of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), to hold and conduct elections, assign or amend the date for elections, Solangi said. “We cannot interfere in the affairs of a constitutional body,” the information minister stated.
Issue of Delay in Elections Not a New One
Talking about the problems and challenges mentioned in the resolution he said that no doubt all the problems were real and genuine, however these issues are not new for the country and existed before in the history of the Parliamentary politics and elections in the country.
The minister further said that it was the government’s responsibility to look into the issues of cold weather and other matters including provision of proper security adding that so far, no signal has been received from any quarters regarding postponement of elections. He reiterated that it the ECP only, having the authority to postpone or delay the elections on certain grounds.
