ECP Mulls to Conduct Pakistan Presidential Polls on March 9, Will Arif Alvi Make A Comeback?

Islamabad – While Pakistan still copes with the aftermath of the highly turbulent General Elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is planning to organise polls for the office of the country's president by March 9. According to the Pakistani news outlet The News International, a senior official of the Pakistani electoral watchdog confirmed the plans on Sunday. It is important to note that the incumbent president Dr Arif Alvi completed his five-year term on September 8 last year. However, he continued holding the office in the absence of legislatures barring the Senate of Pakistan. 

 “There is a concrete proposal for the election of president on March 9. Once approved, it will follow the issuance of the schedule for the electoral process, involving the parliament and provincial legislatures,” the official working for the electoral watchdog told The New International on Sunday. After a lot of wheeling and dealing, a power-sharing deal was struck between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), in which it was evident that former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will run for the prime ministerial slot, while Ex-President Asif Ali Zardari will contest to become the head of the state. 

Will President Alvi make a comeback?

Amid the chaos reports are emerging that President Arif Alvi is prepared to contest for the presidential post if his party – Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf designate him as the candidate for the polls. It is pertinent to note that Dr Arif Alvi is the third president in the country's history who has completed his constitutional tenure. The presidential election will also coincide with the election of the 53 members of the Senate, marking the last parliamentary elections that will complete the electoral process in Pakistan. 

What does the Constitution say? 

Article 41 of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan focuses on the elucidates the following factors: 

1. There shall be a President of Pakistan who shall be the Head of State and shall represent the unity of the Republic.

2. A person shall not be qualified for election as President unless he is a Muslim of not less than forty-five years of age and is qualified to be elected as a member of the National Assembly.

3. The President shall be elected in accordance with the provisions of the Second Schedule by the members of an electoral college consisting of:

a. The members of both Houses; and

b. The members of the Provincial Assemblies.