Sheikh Rasheed urges president to announce election date or resign

LAHORE (NNI): Awami Muslim League chief and former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed on Sunday said constitutionally President Dr Arif Alvi has the authority to announce the date of the elections, asking the president to give the date of the election tomorrow (Monday) or resign from his office.
“As per the constitution, the president can give an election date,” Sheikh Rasheed said while talking to media men in Lahore.
The AML leader said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has not earned respect by pushing the country into crisis, adding the elections will be held together in the provinces and the center.
Sheikh Rasheed said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is yet undecided over contesting by-polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The former minister claimed that elections in the centre and provinces will be held at the same time. “Only Supreme Court can save Pakistan after Allah,” Sheikh Rasheed said. He said Pakistan has ‘default’, the confirmation was also made by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.
Calling fresh elections in the country is the only solution to steer the country out of the present crises, he maintained.
He claimed that the fate of the country’s politics would be decided by April 30, saying he won’t be responsible for any major mishap before April 30.
“I did not stand with thieves and dacoits. They want to take me to Karachi but I am Sheikh Rashid not Arshad Sharif.
The former minister was of the view that after Allah Almighty only the Supreme Court could save Pakistan. He said he had been ‘reborn’ as a new Sheikh Rashid after being kept in prison on false charges.
On Friday, President Arif Alvi invited Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja for an urgent meeting on general elections. The invitation was sent to consult on elections under Section 57(1) of the Elections Act, 2017.