ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to announce general election dates in accordance with Article 224 of the Constitution.
“Our Constitution binds the Election Commission of Pakistan to conduct general elections within 90 days of the National Assembly’s dissolution. There is no constitutional requirement for delimitation,” Rehman said, urging the ECP to announce the election date.
The former federal minister backed the new census election on PPP’s behalf in the Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting. It was after its agreed that the seats would not modified.
They agreed to hold general elections based on the digital census despite reasonable misgivings.
Since there would be no change in national and provincial seats, delimitation should be done soon, she said.
The ex-federal minister stated the Constitution requires general elections within 90 days after National Assembly dissolution.
PPP senators Waqar Mehdi and Palwasha Khan said the ECP must organise general elections within 90 days. As its required by the constitution.
Moreover, They stated constituency delimitation is not a constitutional issue that would delay elections for 90 days. Not holding general elections within the specified timeframe violates the Constitution. “We just have to follow the Constitution,” they said.
PPP raised severe concerns over the electoral postponement after the poll organising authority indicated that the general elections will not held in the next three months due to the constitutional obligation of fresh delimitations.
On Thursday, the ECP published the schedule of new delimitations based on the CCI-approved census from earlier this month, which will take nearly four months.
The PPP senators called ECP’s deferral “unconstitutional” because it must hold elections within 90 days.
Rana Sana ullah’s Response
In response, former interior minister Rana Sanaullah Khan said the party knew the polls would delayed while agreeing to the census in the CCI meeting.
The PML-N leader said the CCI notified the census with stakeholder consensus, including the PPP.
He stated that all parties agreed that only one election (2018) done using the 2017 census and that it is now the constitutional requirement to hold elections with the new census.
