ECP says ‘fully prepared’ to hold elections by Oct 11 if NA dissolves on Aug 12

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is “fully prepared” to hold the general elections by October 11 if the National Assembly completes its tenure and dissolves on August 12, ECP Special Secretary Zafar Iqbal said on Thursday.

On August 12, 2018, the five-year term of the National Assembly began with the PTI assuming power. It will now complete its tenure under the coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as Imran Khan was ousted from power through a vote of no-confidence on April 10 last year.

The ECP official’s remarks come as political parties, particularly those affiliated with the ruling coalition, are holding consultations ahead of the elections scheduled for later this year. These consultations are reportedly focused on the timing of the elections and the caretaker setup, among other issues.

According to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the government would hand over its powers to a caretaker set-up in August.

It’s still unclear if the coalition partners would like the NA to dissolve automatically on August 12 when its term completes or they would ask the president to dissolve it earlier.

While the majority of allies, most notably the PPP, have called for timely elections, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah says the assembly may be dissolved earlier than the due date to “facilitate” the ECP.