The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday expressed its inability to hold general elections as per the schedule if the final results of the seventh census are not provided to the body by March 31, 2023.
In a letter to the Secretary, Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, ECP Special Secretary Zafar Iqbal Hussain wrote: “The exercise of delimitation of constituencies as per Article 51(5) of the Constitution for ECP. It will be difficult to do. Constitution, complete other electoral activities mentioned above and hold General Election 2023 on time as per constitutional mandate if official results are not provided on or before March 31, 2023.
He said that a meeting was held between the Chief Election Commissioner and the Chief Statistician on December 8, in which the latter informed the former that the Council of Common Interests had drawn up timelines for conducting the seventh population and housing census in its 49th year. Approved. meeting.
As per the initial plan, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) was to provide the provisional census results to the ECP by December 31, 2022, the letter read out.
“In the meeting, PBS stated that initially PBS engaged NRTC to provide software, hardware and related services, however, NRTC withdrew and the services demonstrated failure to deliver resulting in a four-month delay,” said the Special Secretary.
After that NADRA was engaged for the above services. Moreover, the change of government and the economic situation of the country caused further delays, read the letter.
The commission was told that as per the revised timelines, PBS will be able to provide the provisional census results to the ECP by April 30, 2023.
During the meeting, PBS was told that the ECP repeatedly raised the matter with the Ministry of Planning and other concerned authorities with the request that the final results of the census be published by December 31 so that the Commission can complete the crucial electoral process. can complete Activities for conducting general elections
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Measures Ahsan Iqbal had also ruled out the possibility of general elections in Pakistan before August 2023 last month.
“As far as elections are concerned, even PTI knows that early elections are not possible in the country as it will take around 6 to 8 months to complete rehabilitation works in Sindh and Balochistan – the provinces have been badly affected by the floods,” the minister said.
“Also, in March or April, the results of the new census will be released. The Sindh government and the people [of the province] have a clear position: the next elections will be based on the new census.”
If the fresh census is done by March or April, it will take at least four to five months for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to delimit and the country will eventually move towards elections in August.
“This is an administrative and natural timetable that may not change,” the minister said, strongly opposing the holding of nationwide elections.
