ISLAMABAD: What appears to be a vivid indication that general elections in the country might face an inordinate delay, the Punjab chief secretary has recommended that general elections of the National and provincial assemblies be held on the same day, whereas, inspector general police Punjab has termed it “a difficult exercise” to hold the provincial assembly polls in the next four to five months given the law and order situation in the province.

The development surfaces at a time when former central ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) alleged that ‘certain quarters’ are out to have the elections in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa postponed on the pretext of deteriorating law and order situation.

In a meeting with the senior officials of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday, two top officials of the federal bureaucracy, presently assigned to the Punjab government, implied to suggest a delay in the general elections of the Punjab Assembly.

CS Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman told the meeting: keeping in view that PA general elections were likely to fall in the coming April and coincide with the Islamic month of Ramzan, the administrative duties of government officials, provision of security to mosques, polio vaccination drive for children, wheat procurement and related engagements would make it difficult for district administrations concerned in Punjab to make arrangements for the polls.

He suggested that the polls of NA and provincial assemblies be held on the same day to reduce electoral expenditure. The CS Punjab also recommended holding the NA by-elections and PA general elections on the same day.

Up to 42 billion rupees were required for the maintenance of law and order in the polls, Zaman said.

The IGP Punjab, Dr Usman Anwar, told the meeting that Lahore, Sheikhupura, Sahiwal, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Multan, Bahawalpur, and Dera Ghazi Khan were the “hotspots” of terrorism in Punjab and several militant outfits were planning attacks in different parts of these districts. The IGP said that police operations were under way in Katcha area of South Punjab and other districts of the province that would take four to five months to complete. The IGP stated that it would be a difficult exercise to hold polls till these operations were completed.

In addition, he said, 412,854 police personnel were required for security duties in elections, whereas, Punjab Police had 115,000 personnel and around 300,000 more personnel were required. The support of the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Rangers Punjab would be required to meet this shortage, he said.

It was decided in the meeting that the ECP would hold yet another meeting, soon, to decide on the election date, accordingly.

Earlier on Tuesday, the CS and the IGP KP had also conveyed to the ECP in a meeting that the possibility of terrorism could not be ruled out in the general elections of the KP Assembly.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023