Senate seeks to delay Feb 8 vote

Thin attendance in house passes resolution citing weather, security concerns; ECP firm on schedule

ISLAMABAD:

In a surprising twist, just over a month ahead of the general elections, the Senate passed a resolution not once but twice to postpone the scheduled vote on February 8. The primary reasons cited were the harsh winter weather in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Balochistan and the prevailing law and order situation in these provinces.

Senator Dilawar Khan proposed the resolution, gaining support from lawmakers across various political parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), and the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP). Independent senators and those representing the erstwhile Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) also backed the resolution. The concerns outlined in the resolution encompassed the challenging law and order conditions, severe weather in Balochistan, and the ongoing terrorist activities in K-P and Balochistan.

However, PML-N Senator Afnanullah vehemently opposed the resolution, highlighting historical instances where elections proceeded even during challenging times, such as World War II and periods of terrorism in 2008, 2013, and 2018.

During the initial vote, 13 senators supported the resolution. After the Friday prayers break, Senator Dilawar Khan proposed to suspend the rules and present the resolution again, receiving approval once more. Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi, initially absent during the voting, opposed the resolution upon his later presence in the house.

Despite the Senate's resolution, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sources insisted that the elections would proceed as scheduled on February 8, emphasizing that only the Supreme Court holds the authority to alter the election timetable.

The Senate resolution highlighted January and February as the coldest months in many areas of Balochistan and K-P. It expressed reservations about anticipated difficulties in ensuring resident participation in cold areas during the voting process.

The resolution added that foiled attempts on the lives of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and former National Assembly member (MNA) Mohsin Dawar, as well as threatening calls targeting Awami National Party's provincial chief Aimal Wali Khan and other political figures had raised concerns about the safety of political leaders, exacerbating challenges for political parties in their election campaigns.

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The resolution underscored the seriousness of threats to prominent politicians, heightened attacks on security forces and citizens in K-P and Balochistan, and intelligence agency warnings of potential militant attacks on election rallies. Additionally, it raised concerns about the resurgence of COVID-19.

In response to these concerns, the resolution proposed the postponement of the scheduled elections to ensure effective political participation, safeguard constitutional rights, and address security and health challenges. It called on the Election Commission of Pakistan to promptly implement the postponement and make necessary arrangements for the smooth conduct of elections on the revised date.

Chairing the session, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani oversaw a total of 14 members during the voting process.

The 14 members present in the house included Afnanullah, Kuhda Babar, Ahmad Omarzai, Ahmad Omar, Dilawar Khan, Abdul Qadir, Sana Jamali, Hilalur Rehman, Naseebullah Bazai, Behramand Tangi, Kamil Ali Agha, Hidayatullah and Gardeep Singh.

After the resolution's approval, Senators Palwasha Khan and Shahadat Awan sought the floor of the house, but the chairman adjourned the session. The Senate Secretariat promptly issued a notification of the resolution, forwarding it to the president, prime minister, and relevant ministries.

While past elections in Pakistan have taken place during the winter season, the advocates for the delay present historical examples of altered election dates due to floods and exceptional circumstances, asserting the need for flexibility in the face of evolving challenges.

They cite the 1997, 1985, and 2008 general elections, as well as recent local government elections in K-P held in winter, in which the JUI-F got immense success.

However, proponents of the delay argue that in 1998, the date of general elections was set after 90 days due to floods, while the elections in 2008 were held in February, 2008 instead of January 2008 after the martyrdom of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.