ISLAMABAD: Today, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will lead a meeting of the Council of Common Interest (CCI). It is to decide what will happen with the 2023 census, which is a point of disagreement among coalition partners.
Sources say that the very important meeting of the council will take place at noon. All of the top ministers and members of the federal cabinet will be there.
The PBS said to have told the federal government that it finished all the necessary steps. As well as the census results can presented to the CCI for approval.
If the CCI accepts the census results, it’s likely that elections will put off for a couple of months because the ECP would need more time to redo the delimitation process.
If a new census is called for, the law says that the ECP has to hold polls based on the new information.
It’s important to know that the ruling coalition has decided to end the National Assembly’s term three days early, on August 9. This will give the electoral body 90 days to hold elections.
The PPP and MQM-P are at odds
MQM-P and PPP, two of PM Shehbaz Sharif’s key coalition partners, have different ideas about the list.
The PPP has said more than once that elections should be based on the 2017 census. Any delay in elections will not be acceptable.
On Friday, Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman spoke on the Senate floor. She said that the census issue controversial and would open a new “Pandora’s box” of issues.
“This could be a reason to put off the election. We don’t want elections to held late. Instead, they should held on time and according to the Constitution, she said.
On the other hand, MQM-P has shared its concerns on the matter with the prime minister, stressing that elections on the previous enumeration would not be acceptable.
The PML-N is “ready” to deal with problems
Also, Talal Chaudhry, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), told media that there’s no harm in delaying polls because it’s more important that everyone agrees with the election results.
‘Polls may delayed by 4 months’
Talking to a news chanel on Friday, former secretary ECP Kanwar Dilshad said that if the CCI approves the census 2023, elections will be held in 2024.
“If the gazette notification of the new digital census issued on the recommendations of the CCI, then the ECP legally bound under Article 51(5) of the Constitution to conduct fresh delimitation,” he said.
