By Sardar Khan Niazi
After months of delay, the Election Commission of Pakistan and President President Dr. Arif Alvi have agreed on February 8, 2024, as the date for holding general elections in the country.
The development came after Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, along with Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan and four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan met President Arif Alvi at the President’s House on orders of the apex court to consult the President on the poll date.
Welcoming the announcement of the general elections’ date, major political parties have hailed it as a positive development. PTI, which had been the most vocal in demand for the date, also welcomed the ECP’s announcement. Party’s Senator Syed Ali Zafar also hoped that the elections would not be delayed further.
Raoof Hasan, the Party’s Information Secretary welcomed the SC’s order to the CEC to meet the president and decide the date, However, he owes an apology to the whole nation for denying them the right to vote.
The PPP, PML-N, MQM-P, and other parties have also hailed the ECP’s decision. PML-N is the only party ready for elections as we are the first one to invite applications from Nov 1,” the party’s spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said. PML-N had constituted an election cell, a manifesto committee, and parliamentary boards in poll preparations, she added.
Irfan Siddiqui, the PML-N leader said that the ECP announcement would ensure stability in the country. I welcome this development even more because the announcement came from the Supreme Court, which has increased its sanctity, the PML-N leader said while referring to the earlier proceedings in the apex court.
He said it would be difficult for the ECP to backtrack on this date since the poll date was shared with the country’s top court. We believe that elections will be held on time, he added.
Nayyer Bukhari, the PPP leader, has said that his party has been calling for holding timely elections. The PPP leader, however, added that elections should have been held within 90 days as per the Constitution. Unelected individuals or cabinet do not have the right to rule the country.
He said the ECP was answerable to the people and the Supreme Court for not holding elections within the 90-day constitutional limit.
Aminul Haque from MQM-P said democratic traditions should be taken forward, and for that, free and fair elections must be held. We demand that the failure of the RTS system in 2018 and the release of election results after 72 hours should be avoided in the next elections, and all parties should get a level playing field.
Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP), the newest political party on the block, hoped ECP would fulfill its constitutional duty of holding free and fair elections. IPP central leader Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan said her party welcomed the ECP’s announcement.
She said while addressing a press conference along with former MPA Mian Mamoon Jafar Tarar in the Kullu Tarar area of Hafizabad that to ensure constitutional supremacy, the ECP should provide an ideal environment and atmosphere for the voters to exercise their rights. The caretaker government should support the ECP to bring Pakistan to the path of real development and prosperity.
It is worth mentioning here that the announcement by the Pakistan President and the ECP matches with the start of talks between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the release of USD 710 million second tranche of a $3 billion loan to the cash-strapped country to stabilize its debt-ridden economy.
The transparency of the election date will support the Ministry of Finance during the talks, although the IMF has not obviously attached any such condition.
