ISLAMABAD: On Thursday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) dismissed the likelihood of postponing the elections and affirmed that a schedule would be issued once the delimitation of constituencies is completed.
A spokesperson stated, “After the publication of the delimitation of constituencies, the election schedule will be announced. There is no chance of a delay in the elections.” The official also mentioned that all necessary preparations for the elections have been finalized.
The spokesperson noted that the first phase of the delimitation process has been successfully concluded, and the second phase will conclude after reviewing objections to the initial delimitations.
The Election Commission of Pakistan is set to begin hearing objections regarding the delimitation process from October 30-31, and a final list will be published on November 30. The official emphasized, “The election schedule will be announced after the final publication of constituencies. There is no ambiguity in the Election Commission’s decisions.”
This statement from the ECP comes in response to President Dr. Arif Alvi’s recent comments suggesting that he doesn’t anticipate the general elections taking place in January, although he emphasized the importance of holding transparent elections when they do occur.
Concerns about potential election delays have also been raised by political analysts, who have noted a lack of election readiness among political parties. Some have also mentioned concerns about the challenging weather conditions during the winter that could disrupt the polling process.
The political situation in Pakistan has been marked by uncertainty since the removal of the Imran Khan government through a no-confidence motion in April 2022. A coalition government that took office after Imran Khan’s removal dissolved the National Assembly on August 9. Following the premature dissolution of national and provincial assemblies, the ECP was required to hold elections within a 90-day timeframe, meaning the polls should take place no later than November 6.
However, the ECP cited constitutional obligations to redraw electoral boundaries due to the approval of the census by the Council of Common Interest (CCI), making it impossible to hold elections within the stipulated time frame.
Key political parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), have called on the ECP to hold elections promptly to resolve the prevailing uncertainty in the country. In September, the ECP announced that elections would be held in the last week of January and released a provisional report on the delimitation of constituencies based on the recently completed census, moving closer to the long-anticipated general elections.
