The Senate has passed a resolution (here) in ISLAMABAD urging the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to initiate procedures for holding general elections within the period specified in Article 224 of the Constitution.
Mushtaq Ahmad, a senator for the JI, introduced a motion calling for the state’s institutions to help the ECP run the elections smoothly.
On Wednesday, three days before the end of its mandate, the administration dissolved the National Assembly in preparation for elections that were supposed to take place within 90 days.
Some ministers raised concerns about a possible delay by suggesting that this would be necessary to meet constitutional obligations.
While Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has said that elections are “due in November” and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that 2023 is not an election year.
Concerns and objections were raised after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on August 1 that elections would be held using the most recent census data.
However, on Saturday, the Council of Common Interests (CCI) authorized the outcomes of the 2023 digital census over resistance from several ruling allies, notably the PPP.
The federal government has handed over responsibility for holding the elections within the next three months to the ECP after the CCI’s confirmation rendered it nearly inevitable that general elections might not be held this year due to the mandatory demand for fresh delimitation.
The Supreme Court’s decision that holding elections under Article 224 of the Constitution when the National Assembly is completed or dissolved is a “divine” responsibility that cannot be ignored was emphasized in the resolution passed in the Senate.
After issuing these orders, the Supreme Court urged all branches of government to back the Electoral Commission of Pakistan (ECP) 100 percent to make sure the elections went smoothly.
It was stressed by the court that Pakistan’s democratic fabric must be protected together with the rule of law.
Timely and open elections are a cornerstone of Pakistan’s democratic growth, and the Supreme Court’s unwavering commitment to maintaining the constitutional framework highlighted this.
The resolution argued that the court’s clarifications demonstrated Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to its constitutional objectives and provided a clear blueprint for the seamless continuation of democratic government.
The caretaker administration was created just to oversee elections and make day-to-day decisions, and it had no other powers under the law or the Constitution.
This House, therefore, requests that the ECP “take all necessary measures” to guarantee that elections be held within the timeframe required by Article 224 of the Constitution.
To that end, “the House also calls on state institutions to provide all possible assistance to the ECP in conducting elections on time and fulfilling its constitutional responsibility.”
