Thanks to the Supreme Court’s timely ruling, Friday’s dramatic events seem to have reassured the country that polls are on track after a brief but concerning period in which it seemed general elections would be postponed indefinitely.
After stopping election staff training on Thursday, ostensibly in accordance with the Lahore High Court’s order suspending a notification appointing polling staff from the bureaucracy, the ECP filed a petition with the highest court.
The Pakistani chief justice led the SC bench that noted that the PTI’s petition contesting the appointment of bureaucrats to election duties had caused the LHC to act “in undue haste” and “well beyond” its jurisdiction. The SC reminded everyone of its ruling from November 3 thatIn its ruling from November 3, the SC emphasized to everyone that “no one should be allowed to, on any pretext, derail democracy.”
The rumors of poll delays on February 8 had been circulating even before the ECP intervened to halt the election process. Soundbites from public servants, legislators, and pundits were offered as “proof” that the polls would not go ahead as planned.
Additionally, some political players attempted to create confusion by citing various factors, such as the cold weather or an increase in terror attacks, to support an indefinite delay.By-elections may be held in constituencies affected by violence when conditions improve, even though the weather excuse verges on absurdity. It is the responsibility of the state to ensure that elections are conducted in a terror-free environment.
Returning to the LHC case, the PTI’s attempt to have the court reject the appointment of bureaucrats as returning officers and district returning officers due to concerns that they would enable “rigging” was a poor idea. In an odd turn of events, bureaucrats were also assigned to assist the ECP in holding the 2018 elections that resulted in the PTI winning.
Furthermore, the commission is forced to requisition the bureaucracy since the judiciary is unwilling to send staff members to the ECP.Additionally, when issuing the order, the LHC ought to have taken the larger picture into account, namely the importance of the constitutional requirement for elections.
Because we have already entered a constitutional limbo by holding elections after the deadline, we cannot allow this legal inertia to last indefinitely. There should be no justification offered by any party for further poll postponements.
The only way to address Pakistan’s numerous problems is through democratic continuity rather than ad hocism, even though elections won’t solve them all right away. It is therefore hoped that no more obstacles are put in the way of prompt, transparent, and fair elections, particularly now that the SC has clarified the situation. Democracy cannot be maintained in the same suspended animation as it did under protracted autocratic rule.
