ISLAMABAD
\nPML-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.
\nIn 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.
\n\u201cNinety 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,\u201d he said.
\nWhen asked whether the approval of the 2023 census would result in an election delay, the defence minister said: \u201cI cannot speculate at the moment but it is a possibility. I won\u2019t rule that out.\u201d
\nWhen 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 \u201cNo, they\u2019re 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.\u201d
\n\u201cThe delay was because of this controversy, otherwise, the result of the census has absolutely no connection with Imran Khan\u2019s conviction,\u201d he added.
\nKhawaja Asif reiterated that elections will be held in November. \u201cI 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,\u201d he said.
\nHe also echoed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif\u2019s 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\u2019s political changes as an example of democracy\u2019s essential aspect: change in leadership.
\nTalking 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, \u201cI cannot predict the future but if 90 days have turned into 120 days, there is a clear constitutional argument present for it.\u201d He said under the Constitution, two elections could not be held on the results of the 2017 census, adding the previous census was approved \u201cprovisionally\u201d.
\nThe minister said \u201cAccording to the Constitution, if the census has been notified, delimitation is necessary after that. So on this basis, delimitation is to be conducted.\u201d \u201cSo 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,\u201d he said.
\nTo a question, Rana Sanaullah replied, \u201cEven 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.\u201d
\nHe highlighted that there were \u201ca lot of objections\u201d to the 2017 census \u201cnot just from one side but dozens\u201d. The PML-N leader said it was a \u201chuge blessing\u201d that all parties concerned had accepted the 2023 census after their concerns had been heard and addressed.
\nThe 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\u2019 tenure. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD 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. In an interview with CNN, Khawaja Asif also pointed out that the National Assembly was set to be dissolved by Wednesday (August 9) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-347930","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n