The governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), on Friday, asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold the provincial assembly elections on October 8, the same date when polls will be held for the Punjab Assembly.

In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, Governor Haji Ghulam Ali suggested October 8 as the date for the provincial assembly elections, saying that the ECP has postponed the Punjab Assembly elections and announced the provincial assembly elections in Punjab on October 8, so the provincial elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should also be held on October 8.

“Since ECP has postponed the election date for the general elections of Punjab province to 08 October 2023, therefore, it is also suggested that the same 08 October 2023 be proposed/appointed as the election date for General Elections of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the best public interest as well as in the interest of the state,” said Governor Hajji Ghulam Ali in his letter to the chief election commissioner.

Mentioning the reasons, Haji Ghulam Ali wrote that terrorist incidents are taking place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on a daily basis. In the letter references to the martyrdom of ISI Brigadier Mustafa Kamal Barki in South Waziristan, blasts on a convoy in Kohat, an attack on a police station in Khyber district, and ongoing terrorist incidents in North Waziristan were also given.

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Earlier, the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while talking to the media in Islamabad said that provincial assembly elections may be held in May, but later it was reported from the sources that the statement was meant for the media.

According to the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, on the day i.e. January 18, when the KP provincial assembly was dissolved by the governor of KP, it is necessary to hold the provincial assembly elections in the province within 90 days.

There is a clear order from the Supreme Court of Pakistan that Governor Haji Ghulam Ali should immediately set a date for the general elections in the province, but instead of setting a date, the governor had already sent a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan and later to the President.

Not only this but in this regard, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has also held meetings with the Election Commission and President Dr. Arif Alvi in the Governor’s House of Peshawar and the Election Commission’s central office.

In all the meetings and letters, Governor Haji Ghulam Ali said that there has been an increase in terrorism and it is not possible to hold general elections in this province even in April or May.

On the other hand, the provincial leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf earlier approached the Peshawar High Court for the announcement of the general elections in the province, while a few days ago, the provincial leadership of Tehreek-e-Insaf accused the governor of Pakhtunkhwa of violating the constitution seeking contempt of court proceedings against him in the Supreme Court.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) dissolved the KP Assembly on January 18, shortly after the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly, in an effort to force early nationwide elections. According to the constitution of Pakistan, fresh polls for the two provincial assemblies should be held within 90 days of their dissolution.