President Arif Alvi on Wednesday wrote a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan and asked the country’s top electoral body to give a date for conducting general elections within 90 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly.

In a quick turn of events, President Arif Ali on Sunday dissolved the National Assembly following the advice of Prime Imran Khan. The premier in an address to the nation had made such advice after the National Assembly rejected the no-confidence motion against the premier and termed it against Article 5 of the Constitution.

“Under Article 48 5 (A) and Article 224 (2) of the Constitution, the president will fix the date for holding general elections. Elections for the National Assembly must be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the Assembly,” it read.

The letter added that in order to announce the date of the general election, consultation with the Election Commission was required under Election Act, 2017.

Later, the president's secretariat also shared the letter in a tweet.

“The National Assembly was dissolved on April 3, 2022, in terms of Article 58(1) read with Article 48(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and notified by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs vide SRO 487(I)/2022 dated April 3, 2022,” read the Additional Secretary Waqar Ahmed letter, a copy of which is available with Aaj News.

It added that in pursuance of clause (5)(a) of Article 48 and clause (2) of Article 224 of the Constitution, the president shall appoint a date, not later than ninety days from the date of dissolution of the National Assembly, for holding of the general election to the NA. In order to carry out the mandate of the Constitution of announcing the date of general elections, it read consultation with the ECP is required to vide Section 57(1) of the Election Act, 2017.

“Accordingly, I am directed by the President of Pakistan to request the ECP to propose dates for holding general elections within 90 days from the date of dissolution of the National Assembly (3rd [of] April 2022) in accordance with the above-mentioned provisions of the Constitution and the Election Act, 2017,” it read, adding that the president has further desired that the ECP might respond at the earliest.