No delays in ex-FATA elections

Shaukat Yousafzai says 26th amendment bill will be placed before Senate after July 2 polls

PESHAWAR: With the provincial information minister on Sunday dismissing rumours about delays in holding elections for provincial assembly seats in the merged tribal districts, all parties in the province have stepped up their preparations for the July 2 polls.

Addressing the media after a cabinet meeting in Peshawar on Sunday, K-P Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai stated while the 26th constitutional amendment has been passed from the National Assembly, the bill is not expected to be tabled before the upper house of parliament for a second round of voting until after the elections in the erstwhile tribal areas are held.

Hence, he stated that there will be no change in the election schedule.

“It should be clear that elections will be held in the merged districts on July 2, while the 26th constitutional amendment will be tabled in the Senate after the elections,” Yousafzai stated on Sunday.

Political parties including the ANP, the ruling PTI, the PPP, JI and the JUI-F had all slowed the process of finalising their candidates for the upcoming elections in the wake of the 26th constitutional amendment sailing through the national assembly. As a result, few candidates had submitted their nomination papers with the Election Commission of Pakistan.

On the six slots reserved for women reserved seats, the apex poll body had reported they had received nomination papers from only eight women. On the sole minority seat from the tribal belt, just three applicants had filed their nomination papers.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2019.