PESHAWAR: Caretaker Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mohammad Azam Khan hasn`t responded to provincial Governor Ghulam Ali`s Feb 5 letter seeking `assessment of security situation` in the province for holding elections.In the letter, a copy of which is available with Dawn, the governor referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan`s formal communication, which asked him if the caretaker government could provide the security required for peaceful provincial assembly elections under the current circumstances.

The ECP also requested the governor to suggest an `appropriate` election date.

In the Feb 5 letter, the governor asked the chief minister for his assessment of the security situation in the province for the upcoming electoralexercise.

`You are requested to assess thesecurity situationin the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and appraise as to whether the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in view of the current situation, is in a position to provide requite security forthe peacefulconductofthe general elections to the Provincial AssemblyofKhyberPakhtunkhwa, read the letter.

He didn`t hear bacl( from the chief minister for five days and sent him a reminder seeking an early reply to the Feb 5 letter.

`[. ..a reference of the February 5 letter], the Honorable Governor, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has desired that he may kindly be informed atthe earliest to proceed further, please,` read the Feb 10 reminder.

However, there came no response to either of the communications, claimed sources in the Governor`s House.

A source in the Chief Minister`s House told Dawn that he had no idea why the governor was seeking the chief minister`s assessment on security because the governor`s job was to give the election schedule.

`Even if the chief minister is asked for a security assessment, it can`t be done in a day or two. It takes time,` he insisted.

On Jan 26, the Election Commission of Pakistan suggestedthat elections for the provincial assembly be held between April 15 and 17.

However, the governor, in the response, hinted at a possible delay in elections linking the electoral exercise with the improvement of the province`s security and economic situations.

On Feb 1, the governor wrote a letter to the Islamabad-based chief election commissioner urging him to consult all stakeholders, including political parties, before deciding a date for the provincial assembly elections in view of the `alarming` law and order situation in the province.`It is the ECP`s job to hold elections. If the law and order situation here improves, he won`t have any issues with the provincial assembly polls being held even within 75 days instead of the maximum 90 days, the governor told a news conference on Feb 3.

Mr Ali also said that the ECP was free to decide about the election schedule after getting feedback from the police and other relevant agencies about the security situation in the province.

The KP assembly was dissolved on Jan 18 after the governor signed a summary moved by the then chief minister, Mahmood Khan.