ISLAMABAD - Since the second political rounds of talks ended without any significant breakthrough, the Election Commission of Pakistan [ECP] would remain silent adopting a policy of ‘wait and watch’. The electoral watchdog has decided only to share its stance when it would be asked either by the apex court or the government to share its input regarding conducting polls, insiders in the top election body shared with this newspaper. The ECP had submitted a report to the Supreme Court, saying it has not yet received any funds against the Rs 21 billion required to conduct elections to the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies. The two-page reply submitted to the apex court had explained the latest situation about the unavailability of funds to the commission.That report was filed in line with the court’s April 14 directions, in which the commission had taken the view that an already depleted security apparatus would require weeks in advance for its movement.
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It may be noted here that the ECP had also suggested parliament approve legislation empowering it to announce a date for the general polls. The Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja had demanded this legislation from parliament as the apex court had given date for elections in Punjab. The chief of top elections body in separate letters to National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf and Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani has put forward this demand. In his letters, the CEC wrote that the conduct of elections is dependent upon the necessary arrangements to be made by the commission to ensure that the standards of honesty, justness, fairness provided in Article 218(2) are met. “The Commission, under the Constitution, is the sole arbiter to decide as to whether conducive circumstances exist to conduct the elections or not. This mandate is not subordinate to any authority,” the letters read. He had suggested amendments in Sections 57(1) and 58 of the Election Act (2017) and has requested for these amendments to be presented in the parliament.
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The ECP has asked both the NA speaker and Senate chairman to be placed before the Parliament for adoption with the following amendments. “Section 57(1) The Commission shall announce the date or dates of the General Elections by notification in the official gazette and shall call upon the constituencies to elect their representatives.” he says.He cited in a letter, “Section 58 Notwithstanding anything contained in Section 57, the Commission may, at any time after the issuance of notification under sub-section (1) of that section, make such alterations in the Elections Programme announced in that notification for the different stages of the election or may issue a fresh Election Programme with fresh poll date(s) as may, in its opinion to be recorded in writing, be necessary for the purposes of this Act.”.