President Alvi announces April 30 as date for Punjab elections

President Dr Arif Alvi has announced April 30 for holding the general elections of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab.

“President Dr Arif Alvi has announced to hold general elections of Punjab Assembly on April 30, Sunday,” tweeted the President’s office. 

صدر مملکت ڈاکٹر عارف علوی نے 30 اپریل بروز اتوار کو پنجاب اسمبلی کے عام انتخابات کرانے کا اعلان کردیا

صدر مملکت نے تاریخ کا اعلان الیکشن کمیشن کی جانب سے تجویز کردہ تاریخوں پر غور کرنے کے بعد کیا pic.twitter.com/Bs363qpgGa

— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) March 3, 2023

Dr Alvi’s office said that the decision was made by President Alvi after “considering the dates suggested by the Election Commission”.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has on Friday written a letter to the President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi, proposing that elections be held between April 30 and May 7 in Punjab.

The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja. In a press release, ECP said, “The Election Commission has sent a letter to the president in light of the decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, in which the dates for holding the elections in Punjab have been suggested between April 30 and May 7, 2023.”

The press release also said that the electoral body had written a letter to the Governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and was waiting for his reply to announce a date for elections in the province.

The letter comes a little more than two days after the Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled in a suo moto case that elections in both provinces be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the assemblies.