Governor Punjab Baligh Ur Rehman has said that the elections will likely be held in February next year due to the approval of the new census.

“It is a constitutional requirement to carry out delimitation after the passing of a new census. Delimitation process takes four months while the elections process needs 54 days for which the ECP requires two months,” he told Shaukat Piracha who visited him at the Governor House in Lahore for an interview in Rubaroo.

Talking about the May 9 riots and the arrest of PTI workers and leaders, the Punjab governor said that all political parties should be allowed to express their views and protest, however attacking public and private properties will not be tolerated.

“Pakistan went through an unprecedented time from 2018 to 2022. The so-called tabdeeli will affect this country for years,” he added.

He said that the Election Commission of Pakistan has the right to fix the date of the election in consultation with the president. However, he refused to comment on President Arif Alvi’s letter to the ECP for the fixation of an election date.

“It is not appropriate for me to comment on the situation arising out of the president’s recent actions,” Rehman said.

He recalled that the former chief minister of Punjab Pervez Elahi refused to take a vote of confidence calling his order unconstitutional and illegal.

“When he[Elahi] was sure of his numbers, he took the vote and wrote to me that he carried out his constitutional duty as per my order,” Rehman stated.

The governor of Punjab said that PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz will again become active before the election and will participate in the election campaign.