Islamabad
The Senate approved a resolution on Friday asking for a postponement of the upcoming general elections, citing security concerns, even though they are less than a month away.
Senator Afnan Ullah Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi was against the motion that independent Senator Dilawar Khan had proposed.
Out of a total of one hundred MPs, only fourteen were present at today’s session in the upper house of parliament.
“The right to vote for every citizen of Pakistan is upheld by the Constitution of Pakistan,” the resolution said. “Voter turnout in colder areas remains notably high during moderate weather conditions,” it added, adding that the Election Commission of Pakistan’s constitutional duty to hold free and fair elections depends on inclusivity and the participation of all regions and people.
Severe weather is anticipated to hit Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in January and February, according to the resolution. In their decision, the Senate upheld the concerns voiced by “various groups and political parties” about the challenges they expected to face in getting people living in colder regions to participate in the electioneering process.
In addition, the resolution expressed deeply concerning concerns about the safety of political leaders due to recent events, such as the foiled attempts on the lives of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and former MNA Mr. Mohsin Dawar, and threatening calls targeting Awami National Party’s Provincial Chief Mr. Aimal Wali Khan and other figures in politics.
Political parties are already having a hard enough time exercising their right to run fair and free campaigns for office without having to deal with threats to prominent politicians’ lives from the Ministry of the Interior;
Attacks on civilians and security personnel have escalated dramatically, taking many deaths, especially in the provinces of Balochistan and northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The resolution indicated that intelligence agencies had issued a warning about the possibility of extremist attacks on election rallies in the two provinces.
“Elections conducted under comparable circumstances”
Although the security situation in the country was not excellent, PML-N Senator Afnanullah quickly rejected the motion after it was passed. He pointed out that the situation was worse in 2008 and 2013, but elections were still held in those years.
The “pretexts” were nothing more than “boot polish” in his view. “Are you going to use weather and security as excuses to postpone the elections?” he inquired. In 2008 and 2013, why were these things not said by you? The senator mentioned that there were two general elections in February and wanted to make sure it was noted.
Concerning the practicality of administering a nation with 24 billion inhabitants devoid of constitutional institutions, the senator inquired as to the intentions behind the proposed abolition of the parliamentary system.
According to him, there were some people who wanted to postpone the election for their own benefit. At the same time, independent senator Hidayatullah Khan spoke about his past two weeks of receiving threats and filing nine first information reports. The dissemination of Daesh leaflets in Bajaur district and a bombing targeting a JUI-F candidate were among the recent occurrences that he brought out.
While asking whether any political party had anti-terrorism policies in their platforms, Hidayatullah demanded an exhaustive investigation. The passed resolution should be valued, he said, because the Baloch and Pakhtun people were suffering and nobody was doing anything about it.
Speaking to Afnanullah, Hidayatullah highlighted the tranquilly of his colleague’s locality while requesting attention for areas where people endure constant dangers and difficulties. At the same time, Senator Manzoor Ahmed of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) stated that the economic and security situation in Pakistan is getting worse, and he specifically mentioned the recent upsurge in terrorism in KP.
In reference to the recent death of six barbers in North Waziristan, Ahmed brought attention to the difficult situation in Balochistan and KP, where residents are afraid to venture outside. He acknowledged the necessity to tackle terrorism, but he nonetheless backed the resolution, arguing that postponing the elections by six to eight months wouldn’t be a big deal.
Resolution rejected by ECP
In a statement issued after the resolution was passed, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) emphasised that the election schedule could only be changed by decisions issued by the Supreme Court (SC). It went on to say that February 8th will be the date of the next general election.
“The Senate resolution is ultimately useless,” the election monitor insisted.
