During its tenure, the PDM coalition parties particularly the PPP and PML-N remained steadfast and cleverly stood firm like a brick wall when Imran Khan demanded immediate elections. As soon as the government completed its tenure, other parties including the PPP have changed their direction and parted ways with its allies.
Interestingly, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who served as the foreign minister in the previous government, changed his stance and distanced himself from the joint decision taken in the CCI meeting regarding the approval of the digital census. He expressed disappointment with the ECP’s decision to delay holding elections due to the delimitation of constituencies. By law, once the CCI validates the census results, it becomes binding on the ECP to redefine the constituencies.
The Election Commission has asked for four months to redefine the constituencies. The ECP Amendment Act has empowered the election commission to announce the election date. In the CCI meeting, other parties including the PPP not only endorsed the decision but also released census results. After their vested interests were completed, the parties are now demanding that elections should be held within three months.
This is likely showing a mirage to the public. If the elections were supposed to be held within 90 days, there was no need to endorse and notify the new census. Elections could have been held on the 2017 census data. The seats of the National Assembly and provincial assemblies are still not increasing. What benefits did PDM parties gain behind the scenes by approving the census will be known only when all the matters are uncovered and openly discussed.
This has now become a technical matter on which even the Supreme Court cannot compel the Election Commission to conduct the election in 90 days. If you look in the context of the country’s situation, it is not a matter of the next 90 or 180 days, but probably in the next two years will the way be paved for holding elections.
The elections should certainly be held within 90 days as mentioned in the Constitution of Pakistan. After the census approval and endorsement by all parties, the election commission has the authority to consult the Supreme Court on technical aspects. The ECP can shift the election date back and forth at will so that constituencies are drawn according to the new census and then elections are held.
The current caretaker government has also assumed its responsibilities. PTI leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Asad Umar have been arrested in the Cypher case which is still under investigation. Before his arrest, Qureshi said if the elections are not held in 90 days and delayed by even a single, it will be a violation of the Constitution and they will knock on the doors of the Supreme Court. Soon after, the authorities came knocking on his door and arrested him in the cypher case. Then Asad Umar was also picked up which makes it feel that if the demands of holding elections in 90 days are not only impossible but detrimental to health.
Islamabad Police has also confirmed the arrest of Shireen Mazari’s daughter Imaan Mazari. Former Special Assistant Usman Dar’s house, property and factory have been sealed. Similar actions are ongoing against other PTI leaders in connection with May 9 incidents, missing cypher, or Toshakhana case. The violent incidents of May 9 were rather unfortunate and should be condemned. Until the elections are held, the country will remain in the grip a technocratic government and is far away from the path of democracy.
