ECP may announce today how much time it needs to demarcate constituencies afresh
Pakistan
According to the ECP, it would try to complete the task in minimum possible time
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is likely to give timeframe for completing demarcation of constituencies for general elections 2023 according to results of fresh population census on Tuesday (today).
According to the ECP, it would try to complete the task [of fresh delimitation of constituencies] in minimum possible time so that the elections could be held within 90-day constitutional stipulation.
The National Assembly will be dissolved on Aug 9, three days before its constitutional tenure expires, apparently in a bid to gain more time to hold general elections according to the first digital population census held in the country earlier this year.
Earlier on Monday, the ECP met with Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja in the chair to chalk out the course of action in the light of the statistics of the official results.
The ECP directed the legal team to guide it on how to proceed in the light of the law and the Constitution. The legal team is likely to give its suggestions today.
It also asked the law wing to approach courts for early hearings and decisions on all the private complaints pending before them.
The commission sought a report from scrutiny committee on foreign funding of the PML-N and the PPP in next 10 days.
It may be recalled that the ECP held meeting after PPP’s Raza Rabbani expressed concern over delay after CCI approved holding elections according to the results of census held earlier this year and plan to install caretaker setup for extended tenure and asked the commission to give a timeframe for fresh demarcations.
Lawmakers belonging to parties in the ruling alliance, except the PML-N, have been voicing concerns over plans to delay general elections, particularly after the passage of legislation giving “extraordinary powers” to caretakers, extending beyond their normal day-to-day duties. Just a day after the Council of Common Interests (CCI) ratified the 2023 census, making it almost certain that general elections may not be held this year due to the compulsory need for fresh delimitations, the federal government on Sunday shifted responsibility of holding elections to the ECP.
Interestingly, the ECP had recently declared that it might take time to demarcate constituencies afresh and the take might be completed in February 2024.
