The Election Commission of Pakistan(ECP) has postponed the elections in Punjab, while the biggest opposition party, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf has taken the decision to knock on the door of the apex court against the decision of ECP.
The elections in Punjab were to be held on 30th April this year, as announced by the President Dr Arif Alvi, as the Election Commission had failed to announce the elections date in the biggest province of the country. Later the Supreme Court also endorsed the President’s announcement regarding polls date.
PTI took the stance that under the constitution of the country, elections must be held within 90 days after dissolution of assembly. After the pronouncement of the Election Commission came on the surface . The PTI Chief Imran Khan said in his statement that the rule of law is over in Pakistan.
The spokesperson of Election Commission told the media that after a briefing of all stakeholders, the ECP has withdrawn its notification regarding the elections date, and issued fresh orders under Article 218(3) and Sections 58 and 8C of the Election Act, 2017to hold the elections in Punjab province on 8th October. He said that President Alvi has been informed accordingly about the revision of the election date.
PTI has a keen desire to hold fresh general polls in the country. In a political move the PTI dissolved assemblies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. First of all the Election Commission was reluctant to announce the date of elections in both the provinces. Then the PTI moved the Supreme Court, who had issued orders to ECP to do so but on failure the President Alvi as head of the state had to use his constitutional powers for announcing the date of elections.
Before taking the decision, the Chief Election Commissioner called a meeting of representatives of provincial governments, high-ups of finance and law ministries who apprised the election commission about the law & order situation and financial plight of the country, especially Punjab province.
The PDM led government was not in favor of holding early elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Hours before the decision of ECP to revise the date of elections, Interior Minister Rana Sana Ullah spoked in the joint sitting of the parliament that the elections should be held simultaneously in the entire country.
The PTI has an opinion that Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja is considered to be loyal to PML(N) and he has shown his partiality in the matter of holding premature elections in both the provinces where assemblies were dissolved.
The PTI demands that the proceedings of Article 6 of the constitution should be initiated against all the five members of Election Commission for taking the polls seven months’ delay illegally.
There is an interesting factor in all the saga that the tenure of current assemblies would be completed in August instant, and the election commission has given the date of elections in Punjab, while keeping in view the tenure of interim setup after completion of present government’s term.
Now the verdict taken by the Election Commission would intensify the political instability in the country which will not only raise the political temperature of the country but also divide the nation further. At present the economy of the country cannot afford the overblown political rift as it could deepen the financial crunch.