KARACHI: After thorough deliberations upon some recent developments which can be used as excuses for delaying the polls, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Friday finally spoke up to show its concern over a “system” that has been making all-out efforts to get the general elections postponed.

Amid uncertainty over the much-talked delay in the polls, the PPP questioned the role of the Election Commission of Pakistan that has remained unmoved so far to address these concerns.

The reservations were placed on record after an ‘important meeting’ of the party’s central board, which was jointly chaired by PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and PPP Parliamentarians president Asif Ali Zardari at Bilawal House in the evening. Those who attended the meeting included former prime ministers Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf, former leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah, Leader of Opposition in the Senate Sherry Rehman, former chief ministers of Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Murad Ali Shah, PPP Women Wing president Faryal Talpur, Aitzaz Ahsan, Nayyar Bukhari, Farhatullah Babar and Syed Naveed Qamar.

Expresses concern over ECP silence on uncertainty caused by recent events

After the hours-long meeting, the party’s central leadership talked to the media to express their serious concern. While they did not exactly name the “system”, they questioned the ECP silence on the developments.

While addressing a press conference with Sherry Rehman and senior party leaders, Mr Ahsan counted the recent events, including a resolution from the Balochistan Assembly seeking delay in the polls on the grounds of Haj in July, and a letter from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister with the same request referring to some complication after the Fata’s merger with his province.

“There is no Haj in July as it would be in August,” said Mr Ahsan.

“Besides, the KP-Fata merger is not an issue of the polls and if you want that to settle down before polls then the elections would be delayed for at least one year.

“Then we saw the courts declaring the delimitations null and void which demand a new lengthy process before the elections. And finally today [Friday] came the order of the Lahore High Court, which directed the ECP to include all mandatory information and declarations in Form A and Form B for upcoming general election 2018, which was previously available in the election of 2013.”

He said the party had a very “loud, clear and undeterred” stand that election must be held on time on July 25 “at any cost”.

“The orders about delimitation in several districts have already made the electoral process doubtful. If once this process begins then it would a take long time to settle down. It seems there is a system that wants to postpone the election,” Mr Ahsan added.

In reply to a query, Mr Babar criticised the ECP silence which had not come up with any explanation so far despite so much speculation and resistance from some quarters after the announcement of the polling date.

“We wonder why the Election Commission did not come up with a single statement on the Balochistan Assembly’s resolution. It’s Election Commission’s responsibility under Article 218 of the Constitution.

“The Election Commission has called an urgent meeting tomorrow [Saturday]. So we are waiting for their decision and measures before finalising our strategy on this uncertain and speculative atmosphere which is being created before the polls,” said Mr Babar.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2018