Islamabad: Former Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani has expressed concern over the silence of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding the conduct of general elections in the country.
A senior Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) politician, JEE News reported, said that six days have passed since the dissolution of the National Assembly, after which the constitutional requirement under Article 224 is set to hold elections within 90 days. The key has started ticking.
“It is unusual that the ECP has not issued a comprehensive statement regarding the conduct or handling of the general elections,” the political leader said in a statement on Tuesday.
His statement was meant to raise alarm over the ECP’s silence on its constitutional obligation to announce the date of general elections within 90 days.
Rabbani added that the election body should immediately and clearly state that time is required for delimitation of constituencies after the digital census.
He said that the ECP should not take it as a matter of routine nor should it put the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assemblies before it.
Expressing his concerns, Rabbani said that any delay in holding general elections within the constitutional period would have dire consequences for the federation, which would rest on the shoulders of the ECP, should it fulfill its constitutional mandate. Must not act immediately to accomplish.
This statement of PPP Polito has come out a few days after the dissolution of the National Assembly, after which Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar assumed office on August 14.
Although his primary responsibility is overseeing general elections, Kakar’s setup will be the most empowered in Pakistan’s history thanks to recent legislation that allows him to make policy decisions on economic matters.
Elections are meant to be held within 90 days, by November, but uncertainty has arisen over that date as the nation grapples with constitutional, political and economic crises.
Kakar and his cabinet will run the government until national elections are held and the winner can choose a new prime minister with a parliamentary majority.
