PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal has said that there was no assurance of holding elections within 90 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly during the Council of Common Interests meeting.

“Neither such thing was discussed in the meeting and nor there was any kind of assurances held out to anyone,” he replied when asked whether provincial delimitations were discussed during the CCI meeting as the PPP claimed that they were assured of timely elections.

The query ended on whether the N-league “tricked” the PPP.

Iqbal was on the Geo News show Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath where he answered queries related to the general elections and the CCI’s decision to notify the digital census after which the country’s top electoral authority was due to draw new boundaries.

He supported his answer by saying that notifying a census leads to delimitation. Iqbal, who is among the top-tier leadership of the party, was on the show hours after a PML-N delegation attended a consultative meeting with the ECP in Islamabad as part of the commission’s consultation process with different political parties.

The delegation briefed the commission that the CCI unanimously approved the final results of the recent census as all political parties had agreed on holding the next general elections on the basis of the fresh census, Radio Pakistan reported.

It declared ECP’s schedule for delimitations as per law and the Constitution.

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The N-league delegation proposed that the process of delimitation of constituencies and updating of electoral rolls should be started simultaneously to avoid any delay in the general elections.

Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja, who presided over the meeting, assured the delegation of holding free, fair and transparent elections as well as provision of “level playing field” to all the political parties and candidates.

Iqbal was also part of the delegation. He shared that the PML-N suggested to the ECP how it could shorten the process of delimitation so that the election schedule was held as soon as possible.

But he warned that if delimitation was not held there would be a flaw that could be challenged by anyone.

He further shared that the commission has expressed its intention to review the administrative matters as the party seeks to shorten the period of delimitation which is due by December 14.

“We have the same intent that elections held as soon as possible.”