ISLAMABAD: Yet another political entity— this time Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) — has demanded of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure holding the general polls within the constitutionally mandated 90-day period and issue the elections’ schedule forthwith.
This demand was made in a meeting between the senior officials of the electoral body and a PPP delegation on Tuesday. The meeting took place on the commission’s invitation.
The PPP delegation included Murad Ali Shah, Nayyer Bokhari, Naveed Qamar, Sherry Rehman, Taj Haider and Faisal Karim Kundi.
MQM-P for polls only after fresh delimitations
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja led the ECP’s side.
The visiting delegates were of the view that it was the “first and foremost” responsibility of the poll body to not only ensure free and free polls but also their timely conduct.
For this purpose, they said, the electoral body needs to issue the general elections’ schedule immediately.
Like PPP, other political parties including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), in their respective meetings with the ECP, have categorically demanded of the commission to make sure that the general elections are held within the 90-day constitutionally-mandated period.
The meetings between the ECP and political parties are part of consultations initiated by the commission over electoral issues.
In the separate meetings, the electoral entity has assured all these political parties that their concerns would be “looked into.”
Recently, the electoral body launched its exercise to delimit the constituencies of the national and provincial assemblies in accordance with the results of the digital population census without consulting any political party.
According to a directive issued by the commission on August 17, the limits of the revenue units (across the country) stood frozen from August 17, and there shall be no change in the limits of the revenue units till the completion of the delimitation process. The final publication of delimitation results is scheduled on December 14, the directive stated.
This indicates that the general elections may not be held before March next year—and that too in case ECP proceeds to hold preparations for general elections in 90 days— immediately after the completion of the delimitation exercise.
It is worth mentioning here that the National Assembly was dissolved on this month’s 9th—a scenario which implies that the general elections are required to be held not later than November 7 this year, within the 90-day period mandated by the constitution.
Sindh and Balochistan legislatures were also dissolved in the ongoing month.
Article 224(2) provides that when the NA or a provincial assembly is dissolved, a general election to the assembly shall be held within a period of 90 days after the dissolution, and the results of the election shall be declared not later than 14 days after the conclusion of the polls.
The general elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have already been witnessing inordinate delay – keeping in view that both the provincial legislatures were dissolved in January this year and respective caretaker governments are since running the affairs of the two provinces.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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