ISLAMABAD, Aug 31 (APP): The Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP) representatives on Thursday recommended that judicial officers should not be appointed as returning officers in view of their pressing responsibilities which might affect ability to effectively supervise the electoral process.
This suggestion was made during a consultative session with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which was chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja.
The TLP representatives also stressed the need to remove names of deceased voters from the electoral rolls.
They said that the local governments should be empowered. The said the previous government attempted to delay local government elections by hastily expanding the number of union councils in Islamabad from 50 to 101, and then to 125 at the last moment, and that ultimately led to the cancellation of elections.
The TLP representatives put forward suggestions for enhancing the election monitoring mechanism to guarantee transparency.
They also advocated for holding elections within a 90-day timeframe. They recommended augmenting the workforce to expedite the completion of the constituency delimitation process swiftly. Additionally, they emphasized the necessity of enhancing the law and order situation prior to the elections.
During the event, the Chief Election Commissioner mentioned that in accordance with Article 140-A, the Election Commission was tasked with organizing elections in line with the local government laws of the provinces.
“The provincial governments show reluctance in holding elections, and when the Election Commission completes its preparations for the electoral process, amendments to laws are introduced. A similar scenario unfolded in Islamabad,” he added.
Additionally, the CEC said, the Election Commission took steps to improve the accuracy of the voter rolls by collaborating with NADRA and the union councils to remove names of deceased individuals and duplicates.
The Chief Election Commissioner stated that the provincial governments exhibited a lack of willingness to conduct elections. “Once the Election Commission finalizes the preparations for the elections, amendments to laws come into play, similar to the situation observed in Islamabad. Additionally, the Election Commission took measures to enhance the precision of the electoral rolls by procuring data from NADRA and the Union Council to eliminate names of deceased and duplicate voters, thereby improving the accuracy of the process.
“This process is continually underway. The Election Commission will also systematically oversee electoral campaigns and expenses. To achieve this, all necessary preparations have been finalized,” he added.
The Chief Election Commissioner noted that for the sake of peace and security, the assistance of the police, armed forces, and other law enforcement agencies would be enlisted.
H e said the Election Commission planned to engage with political parties regarding the code of conduct. “Prior to the consultation, the draft of the code will be shared with political parties to gather feedback, aiming to establish an improved code of conduct for upcoming elections.”
The Chief Election Commissioner emphasized that legislative action was required for certain party suggestions, and in that context, the Election Commission was committed to its role, expecting political parties to share the same commitment.
In another meeting, a delegation from the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) expressed their support for the Election Commission’s verdict regarding the new constituency delimitation. They underscored the importance of a fresh delimitation, rooted in the recently published census findings, to guarantee impartiality.
Both factions conveyed their trust in the Election Commission’s competence and dedication to conducting transparent elections. The Chief Election Commissioner provided assurance that the ongoing delimitation timetable, intended to conclude within 120 days by December 14, 2023, is being optimized to expedite the process. Following that, the election schedule will be promptly announced.
The Chief Election Commissioner also reaffirmed the Commission’s unwavering commitment to ensuring transparent and lawful delimitation of constituencies as well as elections.
The individual meetings involved delegations from Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan and Pakistan Muslim League (Q). These meetings were attended by members of the Election Commission, the Secretary of the ECP, and other senior commission officials.
Representing Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan were Chaudhry Rizwan, Muhammad Qasim, Zia ur Rahman, and Chaudhry Azhar, while the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) delegation included Muhammad Tariq Hussain, Ms. Farukh Khan, Ghulam Mustafa, Rizwan Sadiq, and Hafiz Aqeel Jalil.
