Karachi
\nPPP leader Faisal Karim Kundi on Sunday said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was bound by the Constitution and could not delay polls on the wishes of two political parties.
\nHis remarks come as the PPP has stepped up its demand for holding timely elections. During a rally in Karachi earlier this week, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had called for the immediate announcement of election date.
\nHe had also accused the \u2018state\u2019 of making all-out efforts to bring back PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif \u2014 who returned to Pakistan on Saturday after four years of self-imposed exile \u2014 even at the cost of damaging democratic norms and delaying general elections beyond the constitutionally-mandated deadline.
\nLast month, the electoral watchdog had announced that general elections would be held in January next year but did not provide a date. The JUI-F had opposed to the timing of polls due to \u201cweather conditions\u201d, while the PML-N threw weight behind the ECP.
\nTalking to reporters a day earlier, Nawaz said he would abide by the date the commission gives. \u201cThe process takes time. Some work is left. A census has been done. Delimitations have to be carried out. ECP has an eye on all these things,\u201d the PML-N supremo had said.
\nIn a statement issued today, PPP\u2019s Kundi said delaying elections amounted to planning to \u201csteal\u201d polls.
\nHe lamented how the ECP still hasn\u2019t announced the date for elections. \u201cPolls cannot be delayed on the wishes of two political parties,\u201d the PPP leaders said.
\n\u201cThe ECP is bound by the Constitution and not by two personalities,\u201d he stated, adding that the country should head for polls instead of \u201cexperimenting with selection over and over again\u201d.
\n\u201cIt is only the people\u2019s choice who they want to choose and who they want to reject,\u201d Kundi added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Karachi PPP leader Faisal Karim Kundi on Sunday said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was bound by the Constitution and could not delay polls on the wishes of two political parties. His remarks come as the PPP has stepped up its demand for holding timely elections. During a rally in Karachi earlier this week, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-363184","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n