A good deal of uncertainty surrounds the holding of bye-elections to the National Assembly and the general elections scheduled to be held later this year as the caretaker governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces, where the provincial legislatures have been dissolved to pave the way for early polls, have been citing the worsening security situation to call the elections. As the federal and provincial governments have been seemingly dragging feet on the poll issue, the Lahore High Court’s decision to overturn an order of the NA speaker and the Election Commission of Pakistan to de-seat 33 legislators of the now opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party has triggered a debate on the pros and cons of going to general elections in the face of crippling economic downturn.
It seems that putting general elections on hold due to the law and order situation is not attracting much attention. The coalition government ruling under the umbrella of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has been making clandestine efforts to get the polls postponed, while Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan has challenged the narrative.
The issue of holding general elections has been slipping from view and is being buried by the ever-more alarming news about a new spell of militancy in the country. But, the holding of general elections or bye-elections is a pure legal and constitutional issue. Where the blame for the poll delay is placed is now a matter of political discourse and opinion. The initial delay due to law and order situation or economic debacle is not plausible. The constitution has its own ways to be implemented. The law postulates very clearly; “ When the National Assembly or a Provincial Assembly is dissolved, a general election to the Assembly shall be held within a period of ninety days after the dissolution, the result of the elections shall be declared not later than fourteen days after the conclusion of the polls”.
To call for delaying the elections beyond August 2023 is unjustified and unlawful, and may only prolong the multiple crises the nation is presently confronted with.
The recent statements of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) suggest a possible delay in general elections after the incumbent setup completes its term in August 2023. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, in a recent interview to a TV channel, also hinted at delaying elections for six months aimed at “relief” to the masses. It is very crystal clear to everyone that Pakistan stands at a delicate crossroads. But it does not mean to halt smooth transition of democratic power.
For now at least, fears about prolonged instability have increased following the PTI’s decision to approach the apex courts in KP and Punjab and call for country-wide protests for the election date.
In fact such developments show that uncertainty still clouds the air, with the economy tanking in alarming fashion. The constitution makes it binding on the government and its machinery to provide the required finances and necessary backup to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold general elections in the country as per schedule. With the PTI ready to act on its threat to court mass arrests, the ruling coalition needs to prevent further chaos and uncertainty by announcing a feasible timetable for fresh polls.
