“This House resolves that conducting the LB elections in hasty and non-transparent manner will cast doubt on the credibility of not only the process but the results as well,” the resolution stated. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Already controversial, the local government election issue took another turn on Thursday when lawmakers in the National Assembly unanimously passed a resolution seeking delay in the polls in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan.
The Supreme Court had earlier directed the Election Commission of Pakistan to conduct the elections by November 27 in Sindh and December 7 in Punjab and Balochistan, and subsequently rejected the commission’s appeal for more time.
“This House [National Assembly] believes that the recently announced schedule by the Election Commission of Pakistan for holding local body polls in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan is practically difficult for delivering free and fair elections,” the resolution, moved by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Deputy Parliamentary Leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi, stated.
“This House resolves that conducting the LB elections in hasty and non-transparent manner will cast doubt on the credibility of not only the process but the results as well,” it read further.
According to the resolution, the printing of ballot papers as defined by the law can only be carried out by the printing press of Pakistan, which has shown its inability to print the ballots in the election schedule given.
“The printing of ballot papers by any private printing press may not be acceptable as it would make the transparency of election process questionable,” the resolution signed by Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party’s Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s Sheikh Aftab, Leader of Opposition in the NA Khursheed Shah and Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Farooq Sattar said.
To drive home its point, the resolution concluded on a strong note: “The sovereign political will of this House must prevail in a democratic process of elections which has to be transparent, free and fair.”
During the course of proceedings, lawmakers criticised the judiciary for directing the ECP to conduct the local body polls within an impractical timeframe.
“Conducting the local government elections is the job of the political government, not the Supreme Court,” said Leader of Opposition Khursheed Shah.
“We will not accept the polls if they are held using ballot papers printed by a private printing press,” he added, insisting the court should refrain from interfering in such affairs.
“There should be a limit for them [the courts].”
PPP’s Makhdoom Amin Fahim proposed amending the Constitution to make sure no body could interfere with the powers and authority of the Parliament and ECP.
“We [the political parties] stand united today in our stance that local body elections are not possible unless we forego required formalities.”
“Polls should not be held in haste… PTI will not accept any rigging in the local government elections,” said Shah Mehmood Qureshi, adding that his would hold protests if the process was not carried out in a transparent manner.
Independent MNA Jamshed Ahmed Dasti urged the provinces to file an appeal seeking to delay the poll schedule in the court. “The polls are not possible without proper delimitation,” he insisted.
“We seek a bit more time to make the process fairer—LG polls are in the true spirit of basic democracy,” said Farooq Sattar, stressing that the motion was not an excuse to procrastinate over the LG polls.
Meanwhile, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique informed the House that the amended laws pertaining to local government elections in cantonments had been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office.
“We will wait for the prime minister’s approval of these laws so that the local body polls [in cantonment areas] adhere to the true spirit of democracy… they must not be held under the supervision of station commanders,” he said.
Debate on recent drone strike in North Waziristan
Minister for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Abdul Qadir Baloch rejected the impression that the government delayed the dialogue process with the Taliban. “We were sincere about resuming the talks ... But the US drone strike [on Hakimullah Mehsud] spoiled the process,” he said.
Ijazul Haq of Pakistan Muslim League Zia urged the government to convene another all party conference to forge consensus about restricting Nato supplies. “If drone attacks can be stopped by blocking Nato supplies, let’s block the supplies,” he said, adding, “We must take decisions to secure our national interests on a now or never basis.”
PTI’s Dr Arif Alvi urged the government to raise the drone issue at the United Nations and said an urgent UN Security Council meeting should be summoned towards this end.
“There is no harm of chocking Natp supply routes … if drones are not stopped,” he added. Qari Muhammad Yousaf of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, meanwhile, urged the government to keep the door for talks with the Taliban open.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 8th, 2013.
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