ISLAMABAD: In compliance with the Supreme Court’s order, the ruling alliance has suggested the formation of a 10-member parliamentary committee with equal representation from both sides to discuss the possibility of holding elections on the same day across the country.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has also formed a three-member committee for talks with the ruling alliance regarding the same matter. The panel comprises PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Vice President Fawad Chaudhry and Senator Barrister Ali Zafar.
The government’s proposal for a parliamentary committee has led to a thaw in the inflexible political scenario as the deadline for political parties to reach a consensus on an election date looms.
The committee will consist of five members from both the government and opposition sides, and will be provided accommodation for holding talks within the Parliament. Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani has written to the opposition to inform them about the government’s suggestions, and a 10-member special committee for holding political dialogue is being constituted under the joint convenership of the Leader of the House in the Senate and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.
The PTI has also formed a three-member panel for a dialogue with the government on the issue of elections and other relevant matters. The Supreme Court has directed the political parties to hold a dialogue to reach a consensus on the date of elections in the country, with the government emphasizing the need for polls to be held on the same day.
Today’s hearing on pleas seeking simultaneous elections across the country is expected to see the government inform the apex court about the progress made in the implementation of orders. The court had earlier directed the government to hold polls in Punjab on May 14, but after issuing its written verdict in the previous hearing, it held that its judgment had already fixed May 14 as the date of election to the Punjab Assembly.
