Counter-resolution for timely polls moved

Lawyer seeks contempt proceedings against senators who voted for delaying Feb 8 vote

ISLAMABAD:

A counter resolution was submitted in the Senate Secretariat on Saturday, calling for holding the next general election on its scheduled date of Feb 8, a day after the upper house of parliament, through a resolution, sought postponement of the vote because of inclement weather and security concerns.

The resolution was submitted by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Senator Mushtaq Ahmed as a lawyer moved the Supreme Court, seeking contempt of court proceedings against the senators who voted for the resolution during a thinly attended session on Friday.

With a little over a month to go for the general elections, the Senate twice passed a resolution the other day to postpone the Feb 8 vote because of a harsh winter weather in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Balochistan and the law and order situation in the two provinces.

The resolution, moved by Senator Dilawar Khan, received support from lawmakers belonging to various political parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-N), the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and others.

Read Senate resolution for poll delay denounced

The petition, seeking contempt of court proceedings against the Senate chairman and the members, was filed by a lawyer, Ishtiaq Ahmed, who contended that the resolution was against a Supreme Court decision, which had ordered the election to be held as per the Constitution.

In his courter-resolution, Senator Mushtaq said that the resolution passed by the Senate the other day was an attack on democracy and election, and it disrespected the house.

He added that the Friday’s resolution was unconstitutional and the house could not pass any unconstitutional resolution.

He termed the elections a constitutional requirement which was the responsibility of the caretaker government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

He also pointed out the relevant decision of the Supreme Court in this regard.

He alleged that the caretaker government and undemocratic forces were running away from elections, adding that postponing the elections would have dangerous effects on the country’s politics, democracy, constitutionalism, unity and integrity.