A seemingly pipe dream

An overwhelmed caretaker government and the ECP are trying to ensure that the elections are conducted on time

Back in the month of May when the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced July 25^th as the date for the general elections in the country, many at that time pointed out constraints and the resultant discrepancies that might be generated due to the same. Moreover, as elections were much expected to be scheduled for the month of August, echoes of a possible delay were also heard among the political fraternity as well as the masses. However, an overwhelmed caretaker government and a less-than-aware-of-the-gravity ECP took it upon themselves to ensure that the elections are conducted on time and with utmost transparency.

However, with even less than a week left to the polls, timely conduct of the grand vote still seems to be a pipe dream as according to a news report, the ECP still awaits verdicts on cases pending in courts regarding the candidature of contestants from several constituencies from across the country. The process does not end here, many cases pending with high courts might then still have to wait for a decision from the highest court of the country. Further, as part of the procedure, printed ballot papers must reach the returning officers a day before the scheduled date. Majority of such 85 constituencies are from Punjab and Sindh — the two provinces having the highest number of registered voters at 60.67 and 22.39 million, respectively.

Only if the ECP manages to deliver the near-impossible task of completion of procedural requirements before the 25^th, then the claims of the caretaker government and the ECP itself will hold true. On the contrary, not to mention, the possibility of a delay is always there.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 19^th, 2018.

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