Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to delay the upcoming elections in Punjab may suggest that the elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will also not take place before October 8 according to a report by The News on Friday
The electoral body made a surprising decision on Wednesday to change the election date, which was initially set for April 30, to October 8. According to experts, this suggests that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa polls will now coincide with the other provincial legislatures and the National Assembly.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has already announced its intention to challenge the ECP’s decision in the Supreme Court.
A senior ECP official stated that despite holding consultations with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali twice, instead of providing a date for the polls, he sent a lengthy letter explaining the province’s law and order, security, and financial situation as mandated.
During his meeting with the Election Commission, the governor of the province suggested May 28 as the date for the general election, but he did not provide any formal date. Instead, he sent a letter to the commission, calling for various challenges to be addressed before conducting the elections.
According to an official who referred to the governor’s letter and media reports, most political parties may not be interested in the KP polls due to the security situation, as the political stakeholders are concentrated in Punjab.
After Punjab Governor Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman declined to participate in the process, the President proposed two dates, April 30 and May 7, for the elections in the province. President Dr. Arif Alvi then set April 30 as the date for the polls.
After receiving briefings from the Ministries of Defence and Interior, senior military officials, intelligence agencies, as well as the chief secretary of Punjab and inspector general of police, the Election Commission issued an order to postpone the polls in the province. The decision was mainly based on security and law and order concerns.
Regarding the postponement, a senior official stated that the commission fulfilled its mandate for both Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and that they could not take any further action beyond that. They did not cancel the elections but rescheduled the date under Section 58 of the Elections Act, 2017, and informed the president accordingly.
According to Section 58 of the Elections Act, the Election Commission has the authority to make changes to the Election Programme announced in the notification under Section 57, or issue a new programme as deemed necessary, after recording the reasons in writing. The Commission is required to inform the President of any alterations made to the programme.
When asked about the decision to set October 8 as the date for Punjab elections, another senior official at the commission argued that this date could be interpreted as the day of the general election for both the National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies.
The last day for the incumbent National Assembly is August 12, according to a senior official at the commission, who further explained that elections must be held within 60 days. Although October 11 is the last day of the stipulated time, the commission has fixed October 8 as Sunday falls on that day. As per Section 57 of the Act, the president is responsible for announcing the date or dates of the general election after consulting with the commission.
Kanwar Dilshad, a former secretary of the Election Commission, stated that the commission’s decision was based on factual information presented by stakeholders during recent presentations. He added that the commission had acted in accordance with the Constitution and the law in light of the given circumstances.
He also mentioned that the Election Commission had, on its own, adjusted the election program from January 8, 2008, to February 18, 2008, after the assassination of ex-premier Benazir Bhutto. Dilshad expressed doubt that the general election to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly would be held before October 8, and he believes that this is indicated in the date provided by the commission’s order for Punjab.