Already faced with a mammoth task in Karachi, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)’s Sindh set-up is staring at another major potential controversy: No-confidence in the province’s election commissioner.
After serious allegations by political parties regarding his ‘bias,’ the fate of Election Commissioner Sindh Sonu Khan Baloch hangs in the balance – and will be discussed during an ECP meeting scheduled for later this week, on December 13.
The matter threatens to open up a new front in the province at a time when tensions are already high in the country’s largest city, Karachi, given the re-verification of the voters’ list and fresh delimitation of constituencies.
The meeting was originally called last week, but postponed for unknown reasons. On the agenda of the meeting, which will discuss the re-verification and fresh delimitation as ordered by the apex court over the last few weeks, there is a special segment titled ‘other administrative matters.’
“The issue of Sonu Khan Baloch and complaints against him will be on top of administrative issues to be taken up during the meeting,” a top ECP official confirmed to The Express Tribune.
Some political parties, including the Awami National Party (ANP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), have recently levelled serious allegations against Baloch before the chief election commissioner and ECP secretary. Among other things, they have charged him with conniving with one of the province’s ruling parties, and have called for his immediate removal.
In fact, these parties have held Baloch responsible for the shocking anomalies in the voters’ list in Karachi that came to fore recently as well as a delay in fresh delimitations in the city – issues which were later taken up by the Supreme Court. The apex court then ordered the ECP to act on these issues.
“The chief election commissioner and members of the commission will listen to his point of view before taking any final decision. He is being provided an opportunity to give his version,” the official said, requesting not to be named.
Under the law, the chief election commissioner as well as the other four members of the ECP, who represent each of the provinces in the central commission, cannot be removed without adopting the procedure laid down in the Constitution for removal of judges of superior courts.
However, matters related to appointment and removal of a provincial election commissioner, who is in charge of election matters in the province, are at the discretion of the chief election commissioner.
“Those who are believed to be supporters of Sonu Khan will also come into action and can make things messy,” the ECP official said when asked about repercussions of the possible move.
Dual nationality
The issue of dual national lawmakers is also on the agenda of the meeting. Except for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa assembly member Engineer Javed Iqbal, all other lawmakers across the country who did not submit affidavits maintaining that they were not dual nationals, have resigned.
But things may not be clear for them yet.
“Although these members have resigned, they are still liable for punishment for violating the constitutional clause that bars the dual nationals for contesting elections for parliament and the provincial assemblies” the officials said.
Cases against these lawmakers can be sent to the courts and they can be barrred from contesting elections for up to five years, the official said, offering possible options available with the commission. The commission can also seek guidance from the Supreme Court on the matter.
By-poll irregularities
The commission will also be taking up complaints of irregularities during last week’s by-elections in eight constituencies in Punjab and Sindh. The commission has also sought TV footage from channels on firing incidents.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 11th, 2012.
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