Pakistan's president summons election commission head on date for next vote

FILE PHOTO: Pakistani President Arif Alvi speaks with Reuters in an interview in Islamabad, Pakistan, October 27, 2021. REUTERS/Saiyna Bashir/File Photo

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's president on Wednesday summoned the head of its election commission to discuss fixing the date of the next election within the 90-day constitutional deadline ending in early November, a letter from his office said.

The opposition party led by jailed former premier Imran Khan has accused outgoing prime minister Shehbaz Sharif's coalition of dragging its heels in scheduling a new election because Khan's popularity was growing.