Currently free and fair general elections in Punjab are not possible due to prevailing economic and security situation in the country as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday delayed already scheduled polls in the province till October 08.
The elections have been postponed in response to reports of Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior and law enforcement agencies. All these reports supported the ECP to draw a conclusion that it could not hold the election honestly, justly and fairly in a peaceful manner due to security threats and in the absence of funds and being unable to provide level-playing field to all political parties.
It said that the elections could not be held in Punjab under the circumstances conveyed to it by the law-enforcement agencies, finance, defence and interior ministries, Punjab chief secretary and others, who all opposed the polls on various grounds. Subsequently, the ECP withdrew its notification regarding the elections in Punjab and postponed the voting for the provincial assembly until October 8, 2023, adding that fresh election schedule would be announced in due course.
“The Commission hereby withdraws the election programme issued vide Notification No. F. 2(3)/2023/Cord dated 8th March, 2023 and fresh schedule will be issued in due course of time with poll date on 08th October, 2023,” the ECP order stated.
After considering reports of different stakeholders, such as the interior and the defence ministries, the ECP said, it reached the conclusion that “it is not possible to hold and organise elections … in accordance with the Constitution and law”.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and the ECP members, Shah Muhammad Jatoi, Nisar Ahmed Durrani, Babar Hassan Bharwana and Justice (retd) Ikramullah Khan, while referring to the briefings given by the officials concerned noted that 252 incidents of terrorism had taken place since January 2023 and they were intensifying with each passing day, particularly the cross-border incursion.
The ECP order comes at a time when it has increasingly become clear that the polls in Punjab may not take place on the stipulated date, while the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) governor has yet to give the timeframe for the assembly polls due in the province.
