Under 90 days Pakistan top Court orders polls in two provinces

In Punjab and Khayber....

Islamabad, Pakistan's Supreme Court has ordered to held elections within 90 days from provincial assembly in Punjab and Khayber.

On Wednesday, Supreme Court five-member bench, led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, gave a split 3-2 decision.

The assemblies in the two provinces were controlled by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. 

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan controlled the assemblies in the two provinces, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Khan, in a bid to force early elections, asked the provincial governors to dissolve the two assemblies in January.

The general polls are due by October this year. Pakistan traditionally holds the provincial and national elections together. 

According to Pakistan’s constitution, elections must be held within 90 days after the dissolution of a provincial assembly.

President Arif Alvi, who is from the PTI, on February 21, unilaterally announced April 9 as the election date in two provinces, creating a constitutional crisis, with experts wondering if he had the right to do so.

To determine which government institution had the constitutional responsibility of deciding the poll dates. The top court took a notice of the president’s announcement.