ISLAMABAD: Senator Dr Mohammad Humayun Mohmand on Monday called for free, fair, and transparent elections, emphasising the need for improvements in the electoral system.

He said this at the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs meeting held on Monday at the Old PIPS Hall, Parliament Lodges.

During the discussion, the president and secretary general of PILDAT provided a historical overview of elections in Pakistan. The Chairman of the Committee emphasised that if the electoral system fails, the reasons must be identified, and an audit should be conducted to understand why it failed.

In his briefing on electoral reforms, the president of PILDAT presented several key points, including strengthening constituency monitoring, improving laws and mechanisms, ensuring the independence of polling staff, and providing rapid training for returning officers and polling staff to prevent rigging. He also advocated for increasing the number of polling stations. He stressed that these reforms would be ineffective unless powerful groups stop manipulating the system.

Committee members discussed a comparative analysis of past elections, deliberating that the 2008 and 2013 elections were relatively better. Senator Pervaiz Rashid emphasised the need to prevent powerful groups from interfering in electoral results for self-serving interests.

He further added that political parties must agree to refrain from manipulating the process and avoid interference, stressing the importance of ensuring that their parties fulfil their duty to prevent such interference.

Similarly, Senator Khalida Ateeb highlighted the extent of interference, with political parties being restricted in choosing which constituencies they can contest.

Senator Farooq Hamid Naek noted that political parties must agree to work together and avoid disruptions. He stated that they should focus on solving one issue at a time, allowing the rest to follow.

Senator Mohmand stressed the importance of a comparative analysis based on figures, stating that clarity could be achieved by comparing the number of complaints received at the provincial and national levels.

The Committee was also briefed on overseas voting in the elections for Parliament and provincial assemblies.

According to a January 2025 report, 9.9 million overseas Pakistanis are now eligible to vote. Additionally, the prospects for improving the voting

system for women and minorities in Pakistan’s Parliament and provincial assemblies were discussed.

The President of PILDAT emphasised that the current system is unreliable for women and minorities and requires substantial improvement.

Furthermore, Committee members engaged in a detailed discussion on the efficient disposal of election petitions by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the tribunals established by the Commission. Senator Dr Humayun suggested that discussions be held with the Election Commission to analyse the percentage of sitting and retired judges to determine who is handling the most cases and efficiently disposing of them.

He also recommended that in the next meeting, the elections of 2008, 2013, 2018, and 2024 be analysed to determine whether rigging in these elections was based on one specific issue or multiple factors.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2025