ECP hints at timely polls

Issues clarification saying delimitation of constituencies, updation of voter lists to be carried out simultaneously

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday hinted that general elections might be carried out within the constitutionally mandated period of 90 days as it issued a statement pertaining to the delimitation process.

The electoral watchdog said that it has already taken up the tasks involving the updation of voter lists and delimitation of constituencies and that the processes would be completed "simultaneously".

"It is being said in some media circles that after the final publication of the constituencies, the ECP will update the election lists and that only after that it will be possible to announce and hold the election schedule," the statement read. "This is not true".

"The ECP would like to clarify that the commission has started the delimitations of constituencies and the updation of voter lists and these two tasks will be completed simultaneously," it added.

Notably, the clarification has come amidst speculations that the electoral watchdog is adopting a deliberate stance in refraining from promptly announcing a schedule for the upcoming general election.

Read ECP urged to delimit constituencies of equal population

This approach was attributed to the commission’s engagement with legal intricacies concerning the recently sanctioned digital census after the Council of Common Interest (CCI) unanimously approved the results of the 7th population and housing census.

This had led senators to express serious reservations over the potential delay, with senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Senator Raza Rabbani going as far as to say that the ECP must step up and offer explanations on rumours surrounding a possible delay in elections.

The concern has only grown after Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja refused President Dr Arif Alvi's invitation for a meeting to finalise the date for the next general elections a day earlier.