ISLAMABAD: A crucial meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) will take place on Saturday to decide whether the forthcoming elections will be held on the basis of the 2017 census or the fresh one conducted this year.

PM Shehbaz Sharif and allies have agreed to dissolve the assemblies on Aug 9, meaning the polls should be held within 90 days. The meeting will be presided over by the PM and attended by all provincial chief ministers.

Results of the new census will be presented in the meeting and if approved, they will be notified and polls held accordingly. Otherwise, the polls will be conducted under the 2017 census.

PPP has already conveyed its reservations over the new census to the Centre, but MQM-P is gunning for the opposite.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2023