PPP fears bids to get elections delayed

If demands are entertained then it will take one year to hold elections: Aitzaz Ahsan

KARACHI: Senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders have expressed fear that some parties want to delay the general elections scheduled for July 25.

“It appears that some elements want the elections delayed,” said PPP’s Senator Aitzaz Ahsan while addressing a joint press conference at Bilawal House on Friday. PPP’s Khursheed Shah, Sherry Rehman, Farhatullah Babar, Nayyar Bukhari and others were present.

The conference was held after senior PPP leaders attended a meeting co-chaired by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

Ahsan said, “The Balochistan Assembly passed the resolution in haste. If their demands are entertained then it will take one more year to conduct elections.

"Today, our Central Election Board expressed serious concerns over the idea of dragging the issue of nomination form in the court of law. The form has been finalised by parliament and the court can't undo it. Courts can only interpret the law, not make or break it.”

He further said, “The Election Commission of Pakistan has already issued the election schedule and should play its role to defuse such confusions and expose those who are hatching conspiracies to delay elections."



Ahsan also criticised the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister for writing a letter to delay the elections and said, "The Balochistan government has also adopted a resolution citing the reason of Hajj. This is another lame excuse. Hajj will be performed in August while the elections are scheduled for July 25, so we demand that elections be held on time."

On delimitation of constituencies being challenged in court, he said, "It will take time to resolve the grievances of fresh delimitation. This will also delay elections. This should not have been done."

Further, Babar urged the ECP to take notice of Balochistan Assembly's resolution, while Rehman was of the view that the forms, which were finalised by parliament were filled by senators in the recent election, so “the demand to change it seems illogical and against the spirit of law”.