ISLAMABAD - A lot of uncertainty still prevails over the fate of the general elections in two provincial assemblies, contrary to the Election Commission’s decision, to announce the schedule for polls in Punjab earlier this week. The electoral watchdog’s two recent meetings with some minnistries and departments concerned have caused more confusion on holding the elections of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies following the decision of the apex court in the matter. The elections in Punjab are scheduled to be held on April 30 while the date of the polls in KP is still awaited. The relevant institutions are seemingly reluctant to extend their cooperation with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the smooth conduct of elections despite clear orders of the Supreme Court. The Ministry of Finance has refused to provide required funds to the commission for the conduct of polls while citing the recent economic crisis that has brought the country on the verge of collapse. Around Rs 20 billion funds would be required for the upcoming polls in Punjab and KP, but their availability was in the doldrums as the government has released only Rs 5 billion to the commission so far.
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The Ministry of Interior has also given a disappointing response over the matter. It has informed the electoral body about the shortage of police and civil armed forces. The commission has estimated that at least 350,000 additional security personnel would be required for the polls in the two provinces. The representatives of military and civilian intelligence agencies in a recent meeting with the ECP have also opposed the idea of general election in the two provinces at this point in time due to the fresh wave of terrorism in the country. In the meanwhile, KP Governor Haji Ghulam Ali has not announced the date of the election for the province despite judgment of the apex court that any delay in the polls would be a constitutional violation. The governor will meet with the ECP officials next week for a consultation on the election date. The representatives of the Ministry of Defence and Directorate General of Military Operations (DGMOs) are also expected to meet with the commission in the upcoming days to discuss arrangements for these polls. This week’s announcement of the ruling PML-N seeking applications from the ‘interested candidates’ for the elections in Punjab had given some hope that perhaps the province is inching towards the elections. However, senior leadership of the party including its chief organizer Maryam Nawaz are still giving clear signals that they do not want an election on April 30. The ruling party thinks that its vote bank has been damaged due to the rising inflation in the country and it would need some time for this damage control. On the other hand, former prime minister Imran Khan is riding on a wave of popularity at the moment — a reason he has been demanding the election promptly. The PTI chief is formally launching the party’s election campaign from Lahore today as he is scheduled to lead a hopefully massive public rally from Zaman Park.
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The political temperature is particularly high especially after the death of a PTI worker in the provincial capital a couple of days back. Mystery shrouds the death of the PTI worker so is uncertainty shrouding the fate of the elections in Punjab and KP in the wake of maneuvers of the state institutions one after the other.