General elections across Pakistan should be held at same time in October: PML-N senior leader Ahsan Iqbal

Islamabad [Pakistan], April 9 (ANI): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader and Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal on Sunday said that general elections should be held across Pakistan at the same time in October 2023, Pakistan-based Geo News reported.

The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government will complete its five-year constitutional term in August this year.

The PML-N leader while addressing a ceremony in Narowal, said that the federal and provincial elections should be held at the same time in the country.

He added that there will be issues in early elections in Punjab and it will be equivalent to weakening the federation as the country is witnessing a constitutional and political crisis, according to Geo News.

The federal minister said PTI Chairman Imran Khan has become a symbol of anarchy and has pushed the country towards destruction.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday announced that the elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be held on October 8, the same date as Punjab's polls, Geo News reported.

Pakistan's electoral body said that the election schedule will be issued in due course of time, as per the news report.

In a notification, the ECP said, "...the Election Commission of Pakistan notifies October 8, 2023, as the poll date for the General Elections to the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Election Programme for election under Section 57(2) of the Elections Act, 2017 will be issued in due course of time."

Earlier, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor had proposed May 28 as the date for the elections. Citing security concerns, he later called on the election commission to hold elections on October 8. (ANI)