ECP says upper house’s resolution holds no value, elections to be held on February 8
The Senate approved a motion on Friday asking for a postponement of the upcoming general elections, citing security concerns, even though they are only about a month away.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Afnan Ullah Khan and Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi opposed the resolution, which was put out by independent senator Dilawar Khan.
Just 14 of the 100 members of the upper house of parliament were present for the meeting today.
The resolution said that every Pakistani citizen is guaranteed the right to vote by the country’s constitution. It went on, noting that “voter turnout in colder areas remains notably high during moderate weather conditions.” The Election Commission of Pakistan’s constitutional duty to conduct free and fair elections is contingent upon inclusivity and ensuring the participation of all regions and people.
The resolution affirmed that extreme weather is common in January and February in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The Senate resolution stated that “a number of organizations and political parties have voiced serious concerns about expected challenges in guaranteeing the involvement of citizens in cold areas during the electioneering process.”
The resolution also expressed “great concern” over recent events that have raised questions about the safety of political leaders, including the foiled attempts on the lives of former MNA Mr. Mohsin Dawar and Chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman and threatening calls directed at Mr. Aimal Wali Khan, Provincial Chief of the Awami National Party, and other political figures.
Political parties are finding it more difficult to exercise their right to free and fair election campaigning as a result of the Ministry of Interior’s grave threats on the lives of well-known politicians;
Attacks on residents and security personnel have significantly increased, taking many lives, especially in the northwest provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The resolution said, “The intelligence agencies have alerted us to threats of militant attacks on election rallies in the two provinces.”
Sen. Afnanullah of the PML-N rejected the motion as soon as it was passed, acknowledging that the country’s security situation was not acceptable but pointing out that elections were held in both 2008 and 2013 despite the worsening circumstances.
The “pretexts” were regarded by him as “boot polish.” He questioned, “Will you postpone the elections under the guise of security and weather?” “In 2008 and 2013, why didn’t you mention these things? The senator stated, “I want to make sure that everyone knows that there were two general elections in February.
The senator questioned whether the parliamentary system should be abolished and whether it was possible to govern a nation of 24 billion people without constitutional institutions.
He implied that certain people were attempting to postpone elections in order to benefit themselves. Concurrently, independent Senator Hidayatullah Khan discussed his encounters with threats, having submitted nine initial information reports during the previous fortnight. He cited a number of recent occurrences, such as the delivery of Daesh literature in the Bajaur district and a bombing that targeted a JUI-F candidate.
Hidayatullah asked whether any political party had anti-terrorism policies in their manifestos and demanded a thorough investigation of the matter. He expressed the sobering fact that the Baloch and Pakhtun populations were suffering without sufficient care and stressed the need of appreciating the resolution that had been enacted.
Speaking to Afnanullah, Hidayatullah stressed the tranquility of his colleague’s neighborhood while pleading for attention to be paid to areas where people live under constant threat and hardship. Senator Manzoor Ahmed of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) recognized that Pakistan’s economic and security situations were declining, citing the rise in terrorism in KP in particular.
Ahmed stressed the difficult situation in Balochistan and KP, where people are reluctant to leave their homes, citing the murder of six barbers in North Waziristan. He backed the measure even though he understood that combating terrorism was necessary, arguing that a six- to eight-month election postponement would not be a major problem.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) insisted that only orders from the Supreme Court (SC) may change the election schedule in a statement issued after the resolution was passed. February 8 is the date of the upcoming general elections, it was introduced.
“The Senate resolution is worthless,” the election monitor insisted.
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