Ministers back ECP decision to delay polls

A day after the electoral supervisor postponed the Punjab election to October 8, federal ministers on Thursday mounted a concerted drive to back the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision, saying that was the best bet keeping in view the country’s precarious economic and security situation.

Federal Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar said that general election across the country should be held together for political and economic stability.

The ECP had postponed the elections in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa keeping in view the security, political and economic challenges, he said, adding that unfortunately an onslaught had been started on social media against the decision without even reading the facts.

Addressing a news conference, the minister said that it was the mandate of the ECP to conduct free and fair elections in the country under Article 218 of the Constitution.

The ECP didn't consider the current situation suitable for polls, he said, adding that a surge in terrorism incidents had been witnessed in the country during last few months and the ECP had taken this decision after the state institutions apprised it about the security issues.

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The security institutions were currently busy with borders, internal security and census, he said, adding that in this situation, it was not possible to get heavy deployment for the polls as well.

The minister said that the Article 224 of the Constitution asked for the general elections at the same time across the country, adding that Article 254 also gave provision to postpone the polls due to the extraordinary situation. There were several examples in the past when elections were postponed due to certain reasons, he said. He said that the election had been taking place at the same time since 1997. The law minister said, “We have to use the country's resources in a good way for economic boost as there is a need to increase exports and decrease imports as well for this purpose.”

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He said that the general elections couldn't be taken place without the new digital census in the country which would take around six weeks to be concluded.

Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb on Thursday said that the decision of the ECP to postpone the Punjab Assembly elections was in the interest of Pakistan.

"The Election Commission took the decision keeping in mind the economic, political, and security situation," she said in a statement. The minister said that the ECP had saved the country from a big constitutional crisis and this decision would bring political stability in the country.

Marriyum maintained that under Article 218 of the Constitution, the ECP had to ensure transparent, impartial, and fair elections.

Article 224 required that at the time of elections, caretaker governments should be established at the federal and provincial level, she maintained.

The minister stated that the ECP took this decision after consulting all stakeholders. There were reservations that because of one man's ego, elections were being forced on two provinces, she said.

If elections in two provinces were held on April 30, it would have created a controversy for forever as the terms of Punjab and K-P assemblies would have ended six months before the National Assembly and other two provincial assemblies. The process of the census was ongoing in the country and it was not possible to hold elections in two provinces before the census and in other provinces after the census.