Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Central Executive Committee (CEC) on Thursday discussed the letter of President Arif Alvi sent to Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja regarding election date, saying that the “President manipulated the election schedule”.
The sources privy to the development said that CEC meeting of the PPP was held at Bilawal House in Lahore and would continue even on Friday (today).
“The CEC, with party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, will continue to deliberate the powers of the president regarding recommendations of election date under the law,” said the sources privy to the development.
Former President and PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Faryal Talpur and other senior leaders of the party were also present there in the meeting. The sources said that the CEC focused what they said “confusion” about election, and many leaders talked about the election and many others had yet to speak about it.
“The members are debating that whether the president has powers to recommend the election date or not,” said the insiders, adding that the PPP is clear over supremacy of the Constitution and is determined to fulfill its responsibility.
“The letter written by President Alvi to CEC Raja is being discussed in the meeting in the eye of law and Constitution,” said the sources, adding that the legal experts came up with their opinion that the president did not have such powers and that it was the power of the ECP to give the election date.
They added that the CEC members were of the view that economy and elections both were important for them.
After the CEC meeting, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Parliamentarians Secretary Information Shazia Atta Marri alleged that President Arif Alvi was attempting to manipulate the election schedule, emphasizing that the Election Commission could not legally dictate the timing of the polls.
She was talking to the reporters outside Bilawal House in Lahore. Faisal Kareem Kundi and Shahzad Saeed Cheema were also present there during the press talk.
Faisal Kareem Kundi, the Secretary of Information for the PPP Central Executive Committee, clarified that although Aitzaz Ahsan and Latif Khosa were invited to the meeting, they could not attend due to prior commitments.
He also clarified that Latif Khosa, who received a show-cause notice, was not expelled from the party. Khosa, he said, was given seven days to respond to the notice.
Faisal Kareem Kundi raised concerns regarding the caretaker setup in three provinces and mentioned that development projects are currently underway in various provinces, except Sindh, where restrictions have been imposed.
Shahzad Saeed Cheema, the Secretary of Information for PPP Punjab, expressed concerns about the prevailing situation and emphasized the challenges they were currently facing. He stated that the matter of determining the election date fell under the jurisdiction of the Election Commission and was not a topic of discussion for the PPP.
He also highlighted the difficulties they were encountering in Sindh due to the restrictions imposed by the federal government.
