Senior leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) expressed their concerns regarding a potential delay in the upcoming general elections. They firmly emphasized that the party would not accept any such postponement.
During a press conference held at Bilawal House in Karachi following a Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting, Senator Sherry Rehman conveyed the party’s stance. She made it abundantly clear that the party’s CEC had unequivocally emphasized the risk of a countrywide crisis if the elections were delayed by more than 90 days.
Rehman underscored the vital importance of holding elections within the 90-day timeframe and urged against any delays related to constituency delimitations. She also announced that a PPP delegation would soon meet with officials from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to discuss this matter further.
Prominent PPP leader Faisal Karim Kundi shared his perspective during the occasion. He pointed out that the ECP’s announcement of by-elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa indicated that timely general elections could occur nationwide without any delays.
Former Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah echoed the party’s stance, emphasizing their strong desire for the general elections to proceed as scheduled, without any delays caused by the census process. He asserted that a new delimitation was not a prerequisite for conducting general elections and referred to the constitutional requirement that elections must take place within 90 days following the dissolution of the National Assembly.
Nayyar Bukhari, another prominent figure within the PPP, indicated that a decision regarding the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would be reached during the Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting in Lahore. He noted that the next meeting would play a pivotal role in determining the party’s course of action.
Bukhari explained, “Our delegation is scheduled to meet with ECP officials, and following that, our future strategy will be deliberated upon during the next CEC meeting in Lahore.”
He further emphasized the importance of politics over enmity with the state. The campaign against the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court was considered contempt of court. He mentioned that when the President announces the date of the elections, we will stand firmly in support of the Constitution.
These statements from PPP leaders were prompted by speculations suggesting that the electoral watchdog was intentionally delaying the announcement of a schedule for the upcoming general election. This delay was attributed to the commission’s engagement with legal complexities associated with the recently sanctioned digital census. The Council of Common Interest (CCI) had unanimously approved the results of the 7th population and housing census, introducing these intricacies.
A senior official from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) clarified that there was no immediate need to announce the date for the general elections, as a window existed until September 12. Another official noted that the ECP could potentially extend this deadline until September 20.
Legal experts had raised the possibility of the Supreme Court playing a significant role in shaping the upcoming general elections. They believed that the actions of the incoming Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Qazi Faez Isa, could exert substantial influence on the electoral landscape.
In light of these considerations, these experts suggested that the ECP should take proactive steps to engage with the Supreme Court and seek guidance on how to conduct the elections within the constitutionally mandated 90-day timeframe following the approval of the digital census.
