Khawaja Asif says general elections can be delayed by two months

PML-N senior leader and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has stated that the next general elections were due in November but there is a possibility of a delay in holding the polls, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.

In an interview with CNN, Khawaja Asif also pointed out that the National Assembly was set to be dissolved by Wednesday (August 9) evening, adding that under the Constitution polls would be held within 90 days. “Ninety days in the deadline. One cannot go beyond 90 days. But under some conditions, the Election Commission has the power to delay it, because of some election problem or census problem or electoral role problem, for a month or two but not beyond that,” he said.

When asked whether the approval of the 2023 census would result in an election delay, the defence minister said: “I cannot speculate at the moment but it is a possibility. I won’t rule that out.”

When pointed out that the approval of the census came the same day that PTI chief Imran Khan was arrested in a graft case and if the two developments were connected, the senior PML-N leader said “No, they’re not at all connected. The census controversy was going on for the last many, many months. And we had to create a consensus between all the provinces of Pakistan so that the results are accepted by all the provinces.”

“The delay was because of this controversy, Otherwise, the result of the census has absolutely no connection with Imran Khan’s conviction,” he added.

Khawaja Asif reiterated that elections will be held in November. “I do believe that elections will be held in November. But you asked me if there is a possibility of delay: There is a possibility of a delay but not more than a couple of months on technical grounds, and no ulterior motive in that,” he said.

He also echoed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s assertion that PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif would return before the elections.

Kh Asif criticized the PTI, claiming it led the nation into a political and economic crisis akin to two decades prior. He cited the UK’s political changes as an example of democracy’s essential aspect: change in leadership.

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Rana Sanaullah asks talks about possible delay in polls

Talking to a private TV channel last night, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah also talks about the possible delay in holding next general elections.

Rana Sanaullah said, “I cannot predict the future but if 90 days have turned into 120 days, there is a clear constitutional argument present for it.” He said tunder the Constitution, two elections could not be held on the results of the 2017 census, adding the previous census was approved “provisionally”.

The minister said “According to the Constitution, if the census has been notified, delimitation is necessary after that. So on this basis, delimitation is to be conducted.”

“So these are constitutional requirements, which are being implemented according to the Constitution. It is not the case that the 90 days have gone to 120 days without any reason,” he said.

To a question, Rana Sanaullah replied, “Even today, I say that if this census had not been notified unanimously by national consensus, then the elections that were to be held within 90 days were to be held on the existing delimitation.”

He highlighted that there were “a lot of objections” to the 2017 census “not just from one side but dozens”. The PML-N leader said it was a “huge blessing” that all parties concerned had accepted the 2023 census after their concerns had been heard and addressed.

The government has announced that assemblies will be dissolved on August 9, following which elections should be held within 90 days of the end of the assemblies’ tenure.