JI asks CEC to quit if can’t exercise constitutional powers

Slams ECP for postponing LG polls in Karachi for 3rd time

KARACHI:

The Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Ameer, Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has demanded of the chief election commissioner (CEC), Sikandar Sultan Raja, to step down if he cannot exercise his constitutional powers under Article 220 of the Constitution.

While speaking at a press conference at his party's Karachi headquarters on Tuesday, he said that under Article 220 of the Constitution, the ECP reserves the right to use the army, FC, police or any other institution to hold elections anywhere in the country.

"If the chief election commissioner, Sikandar Sultan Raja, continues to ask institutions, instead of issuing orders to them, then it means either he is unable to exercise his powers or he is unaware of his constitutional powers, therefore, he should quit his job," Rehman said.

The press conference was called after the Election Commission of Pakistan's announcement to postpone the local government elections for the third time in Karachi.

Rehman further said that days before the LG elections in Karachi, the CEC became a facilitator of the PPP government in Sindh - the party that doesn't want to devolve powers to local governments - under one pretext or the other.

The PPP government doesn't want to hold LG elections because it wants to plunder budget worth billions of rupees as well as foreign aid, he said, adding that the PPP government has already pocketed Rs5,000 billion development funds during the last 14 years.

He further said the PPP government fears that the JI would clean sweep the elections because the political atmosphere in the city is already in favour of JI. The fear of losing the LG elections as well as the opportunity to plunder funds lead the PPP government to stand against the polls, he said. In fact, he maintained, the PPP regime doesn't want to devolve funds and powers to the local government setup.

The JI leader also questioned the defence and interior ministries over their inability to provide support in holding the LG elections even when everything is sailing smooth on borders. The concerned ministries need to explain why the army and the Rangers personnel could not be deployed for the October 23 elections, he asked.

He further said that the JI would not budge on its demand for the LG elections on time.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2022.