IT is more than just a little bit concerning that the uncertainty over the election schedule refuses to dissipate, despite stern warnings from the Supreme Court. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman remains vocally unhappy about a February election as if the date is somehow still ‘optional’, and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s remarks to a TV show host, saying there would be nothing wrong if elections were delayed by another few days, have further stirred the waters. It bears mentioning that PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari clarified to the media the next day that the remarks were quoted out of context, and the PPP has faith in the chief justice’s assurance that elections will not be delayed any further. Nevertheless, the steady drip-drip of negative speculation, which Mr Zardari carelessly augmented with his remarks, has added ambiguity to an already tense political equation. Although the chief election commissioner on Monday extended assurances to a PPP delegation that there would be no further delays, promising that an election schedule would be announced within a few days, one wonders why the ECP has not been more proactive in putting an end to this idle talk.

A large part of the blame for the uncertainty lies with the ECP, mainly because it has unilaterally and abruptly changed election timelines more than once during this outgoing year. On one occasion, it had even revoked the election schedule after issuing it. Despite the glaring contravention of the election law these delays represented, various political parties, instead of challenging them, repeatedly insisted that the ECP enjoys some sort of supra-constitutional power to alter election timelines according to its own assessment of on-ground realities. Invariably, these were the same parties that have stood to benefit most from repeated delays in the polling exercise. Most of them, it appears, are still not enthusiastic about returning to the people to seek a fresh mandate. However, since the Supreme Court has guaranteed the most recent date provided by the ECP, there is no good reason for the Commission to continue putting off its announcement of the election schedule. It should do so at the earliest, within this week. It is strange to see it be so inflexible on a mere technicality after the many times it has bent the rules to go its own way.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2023