By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI—After a brief political uncertainty in Pakistan following the Senate’s passage of a resolution to postpone the general elections, the country’s Election Commission has announced that the elections will proceed as per the schedule on February 8. Though the resolution was non-binding, it had increased tension in Pakistan and led to speculations about political and economic instability.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), headed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan who is in jail, has demanded holding of free and fair elections. Jamaat-e-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan submitted a fresh resolution in the Senate Secretariat, urging that the elections be conducted on time, after last week’s passage of the earlier resolution.
The statement of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), categorically declaring that the general elections will be held on February 8, came after the upper house of the Parliament passed a resolution, with a thin majority of only 14 members, seeking a delay in the polls. Dismissing the resolution, the ECP declared that only the orders issued by the Supreme Court had the power to alter the established election schedule.
The Senate’s controversial resolution had cited concerns about security threats, harsh winter conditions, and potential disenfranchisement of voters in certain regions. The ECP remained unmoved by these arguments and emphasised its constitutional mandate to conduct timely and transparent elections, while highlighting all necessary preparations.
Pakistan is grappling with political, constitutional and economic crises, which had earlier led to speculations about delay in elections by a few months. Since August 2023, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) Senator Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar has been functioning as the caretaker Prime Minister, who does not have powers to conclude new agreements or contracts.
India’s neighbouring country is at present facing its worst economic crisis since Independence, as the financial mismanagement and political uncertainty have severely affected the economy, which was already reeling under the impact of the global energy crisis and the devastating floods of 2022. Kakar also faces the challenge of implementing the tough conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its bailout package of 3 million U.S. dollars.
The new resolution submitted in the Senate by Mushtaq Ahmed Khan has sought adherence to constitutional requirements and timely conduct of elections. However, the inclusion of the resolution in the agenda of the upcoming session of the Senate remains uncertain, as the date for the session has not been confirmed.
With the Supreme Court firm in its determination to hold elections on February 8, and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) – which was in power till recently – publicly opposed to any further delays, the people in Pakistan are expecting that the electoral process will continue moving forward despite distractions and theatrics. The wilful abandonment of the Constitution has the potential to destroy the entire edifice of the Pakistani political system.
It was beyond understanding of the political analysts in Pakistan why some people continued to persist in this approach. While keeping with democratic norms, the activists have demanded that such persons must be identified and held to account for their actions, either by the people exercising their right to do so through the ballot box, or by the parties and lawmakers who have elected them.
After delaying the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab Assembly elections on the pretext of inadequate security, the PML-N is now forced to argue that conditions were much worse during elections held in 2008 and 2013.
Former PM Imran Khan, on the other hand, has raised serious doubts over whether the scheduled February 8 polls will be held and reiterated that he was removed from power in 2022 by the establishment under pressure from the US. Khan, 71, imprisoned at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, has warned that the elections would be a farce and there would be no level playing field for different political parties.
In an article attributed to him in “The Economist”, published last week, Khan launched a scathing criticism of Pakistan’s current political scenario and demanded that free and fair elections be held in the country for political stability and the need for reforms. He claimed that with democracy under siege, Pakistan was headed in the opposite direction.
Khan was convicted in the Toshakhana corruption case and is at present facing trial in multiple other cases, including one under the Official Secrets Act in connection with the May 9, 2023 violent protests across Pakistan. There is a legitimate fear that the all-powerful military may consolidate its control over the country if the caretaker set-up stretches beyond its constitutional tenure and there is a prolonged period without an elected government.
