ECP at centre of conflicting views on electoral roadmap

JI calls for elections in 90 days as MQM-P pushes for fresh delimitations; PPP delegation to meet ECP today

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) remained at the centre of conflicting viewpoints as discussions with mainstream political parties continued on Monday, with the Jamat-e-Islami advocating for polls to be conducted within 90 days, while the MQM-P pushing for fresh delimitations.

According to a press release issued by the ECP, the electoral watchdog held separate meetings with the leaders of both parties to discuss various aspects of the electoral roadmap, including delimitation of constituencies, upgradation of electoral rolls, scheduling of elections, and other related matters.

Delegates from JI visited the ECP and met with its members, including the chief election commissioner.

The ECP's press release stated that MQM-P emphasised the significant increase in the population of Karachi and demanded a thorough review of voter lists alongside the delimitation process.

Additionally, the party urged the election commission to take strict action against any irregularities during the elections and proposed imposing limits on political parties' election expenses.

Speaking to media outside the ECP, MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar said that the population of Karachi is deliberately reduced, adding that the population of Karachi has increased by 27% in six years.

He said the population of Karachi has intentionally been reduced and insisted that transparent constituencies are crucial for a fair election. “The first basis of transparent election is transparent constituencies.”

On the other hand, JI believed that the election commission should have initiated consultations with political parties earlier.

Talking to the media, the delegation of Jamaat-e-Islami said that it had reservations about extending the election beyond 90 days.

It voiced reservations about extending the election beyond ninety days and urged the ECP to take action independently instead of relying solely on complaints while calling for a “more empowered and independent” election commission.

The leaders also criticised the decision made by the PDM government to dissolve the assembly before the completion of its term.

Read also: Govt to support ECP in holding elections

The JI demanded that the ECP ensure elections within 90 days and also expressed discontent with the delay caused by the dissolution of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies.

During the meeting, the party also urged the election commission to take strict action against any violations of the code of conduct and suggested that all election-related forms be in Urdu for better understanding by the electorate, according to the ECP press release.

In response to the parties' concerns and demands, the chief election commissioner assured them that timely elections would be guaranteed.

The ECP plans to submit proposals regarding political parties' elections to the parliament.

Furthermore, the commission will consult with all political parties on the code of conduct and has established a state-of-the-art monitoring centre for accurate monitoring of the elections.

PPP to meet ECP today

Meanwhile, the ECP will meet the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) delegation on August 29 (today).

The ECP is scheduled to meet with a delegation from the PPP to discuss the party's position on holding elections within 90 days as stipulated by the constitution.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has assembled a delegation consisting of Secretary General Nayyar Bukhari, Naveed Qamar, Murad Ali Shah, Sherry Rehman, and Farhatullah Babar.

During the meeting, the delegation will advocate for the timely execution of elections and present their stance on constituencies.

Read: ECP invites MQM-P, JI on Monday to discuss polls

According to sources, numerous important meetings related to preparations for the upcoming general elections will also take place at the election commission today.

The meetings will involve the Inspector Generals (IGs), chief secretaries, and provincial election commissioners from all four provinces.

The ECP has instructed the IG of Sindh, the chief secretary of Sindh, and the provincial election commissioner to attend the meeting. Likewise, the ECP has also directed the attendance of the IG of Balochistan, the chief secretary of Balochistan, and a provincial member of the commission.

The meetings aim to evaluate the progress of preparations for the general elections in Sindh and Balochistan.

Furthermore, during these sessions, the ECP will provide the IG of Sindh and the IG of Balochistan with a briefing on the security plan for the upcoming general elections.

The chief secretaries of Sindh and Balochistan will also be briefed on the administrative arrangements for the elections.

The series of meetings began on Thursday, with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf being the first to engage in discussions. This was followed by a meeting with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday.

During the meeting with PML-N, the ECP revealed its plans to concurrently carry out the task of constituencies' delimitation and updating the electoral rolls. The objective is to expedite the process and ensure that the work is completed within the shortest possible time frame.

Earlier this month, the ECP had announced that no elections would be conducted in the current year. This decision was made following the issuance of a notification regarding the latest 2023 digital census.