Optimism grows about timely polls

The lawmakers from the two largest parliamentary parties — the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) —on Tuesday addressed a big question regarding the general elections, saying that the polls would be held within the stipulated timeframe mentioned in the Constitution, as the government had made international commitments.

In a rare show of unity, the members of the major parties in the ruling coalition addressed the crucial matter, which has been gripping the nation amid uncertainty, especially after the delay in the elections in two provinces — Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

“Well we have made international commitments,” PPP Senator Saleem Mandviwalla told The Express Tribune. “Elections will be [held] on time.”

The fears about delaying polls or extending caretaker set-up’s period also gained attention after the ruling PML-N started considering nominating incumbent Finance Minister Ishaq Dar as the caretaker premier.

The fears mounted manifolds when Dar himself confirmed that the government had decided to amend the Elections Act, 2017 in order to give more powers to the caretaker set-up so that it could go beyond performing just day-to-day affairs for three months.

To a question what were the chances that the general elections would be held within 60 or 90 days, and they wouldn’t go beyond that period just like it happened in Punjab and K-P, a senior PML-N member, requesting anonymity, said that the polls would be held on time because of the global commitments and democratic process would not be derailed.

Amid growing concern and the lingering question mark on elections, the lawmakers from both the parties were determined to reassure the public that the government would uphold its international obligations.

“Holding elections is not merely a legal obligation but a reflection of Pakistan’s commitment to democratic principles on the global stage,” the PML-N lawmaker said.

Tension arose as elections had not been held in Punjab and K-P as mandated by the Constitution. According to the law, elections were to take place within 90 days of the assembly’s dissolution. However, this constitutional requirement had not been met in the two provinces.

The PTI’s decision to dissolve the Punjab and K-P assemblies earlier in the year was seen as a calculated move to pressure the federal government into calling snap polls in the country.

However, the anticipated ripple effect did not occur, leaving the nation in a political and constitutional limbo. Resultantly, the caretaker set-ups in the two provinces continued beyond their constitutional period of 90 days.

The Punjab and K-P polls’ issue was also taken up in the Supreme Court but despite the judiciary’s intervention, voting in the two provinces remained elusive on the pretext of lack of security and funds.

With repeated concerns about the dissolution of the assembly and polls’ time, the prime minister had indicated the other day that the assembly would be dissolved a few days before it completed its five year tenure.

Under the Constitution, if the assembly is dissolved before time, the polls should then be held within 90 days. If the assembly completes its tenure, the elections are to be held within 60 days.

The National Assembly is going to compete its tenure in August and if it is dissolved even a day before the time, the polls can be held by the second week of November.

If the assembly is dissolved after completing its term, the polls’ supervisor is bound to hold the elections within 60 days — by the second week of October.

When the question about holding the general elections on time had first arisen, the PPP had constituted a committee to convince the allied parties in the government that the polls shouldn’t be delayed beyond October.

Apart from the political and legal issues, the PPP had swung into action after the questions about the timing of the general elections started making rounds and became a cause for concern among the diplomatic circles as well.

Sources had said that the diplomats and foreign delegation frequently enquired about the elections’ timing in their official meetings and social gathering with the high-ups of the government, saying that “trade and a lot more depends on holding elections amid high political temperature and rumours that polls might get delayed even after October”.

The PTI chairman has also expressed fears that the elections might not be held even in October this year.