ISLAMABAD: The Pakis­tan Peoples Party (PPP) on Wednesday criticised the government for demanding resignation of the Chief Ele­c­tion Commissioner (CEC) and other members of the Election Commission of Pak­­is­tan and said it was an unprecedented and inexplicable attack on the ECP’s authority and independence.

Reacting to the government’s announcement of initiating the contempt of court proceedings against the CEC and other members of the commission if they do not resign from their offices, PPP’s parliamentary leader in the Senate Sherry Rehman said it was absurd that just because an independent and constitutional body was not following the prime minister’s dictation, the latter wanted its chief and other members to tender their resignations.

“Expecting an autonomous institution to obey the government’s whims is not how things work in even hybrid democracies. If there was any conflict, the government should have taken it up constitutionally, but pressurising and forcing the CEC and members of the ECP reflected the extreme environment of unstable and unsustainable authoritarianism of this government,” she added.

Senator Sherry Rehman asked: “Where is Tabahi Sarkar taking Pakistan with all these attacks on our constitutional institutions? Taking Pakistan into a constitutional crisis for self-gain is selfish and disastrous for our country’s constitutional institutions, our democratic fundamentals and self-image.

“How can this government say that the ECP did not hold free and transparent elections after what happened in Daska? They are only creating a dangerous level of instability in the country with such controversies. What this government does not realise is that this smear campaign agai­nst the ECP is only damaging its own credibility and exposing its insecurities.”

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2021