ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected a request put forth in a Senate resolution, dated January 5, advocating a postponement of the February 8 polls. The ECP asserted that all necessary preparations have been finalized, and deferring the elections would not be considered “advisable.”
Senator Dilawar Khan moved the resolution, citing challenging weather conditions in mountainous regions and worsening security concerns as grounds for delaying the polls.
In response, the ECP, in a statement, disclosed that it had extensively discussed the resolution, emphasizing that caretaker governments had been instructed to enhance security measures and create a favorable environment for peaceful elections.
Additionally, the electoral body highlighted its commitment to the Supreme Court, assuring the conduct of elections on February 8, 2024.
The ECP underscored that holding elections during the winter season had occurred in previous general elections and local government polls.
Notably, Independent lawmaker Dilawar Khan called upon Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani to enforce the resolution passed by the upper house, urging a delay in the February 8 polls.
Expressing concern in a letter to the Senate chairman, Senator Dilawar emphasized the apparent lack of tangible steps taken by the ECP despite the resolution’s explicit endorsement by the Senate.
Senator Dilawar stressed the necessity of promptly addressing the concerns raised in the resolution for the preservation of free and fair elections.
He underscored the importance of postponing the elections to facilitate the active participation of people from all areas of Pakistan and across the political spectrum in the electoral process.
Following Senator Dilawar’s resolution, two additional resolutions were submitted to the upper house by independent Senators Hidayat Ullah and Hilal-ur-Rehman.
All three senators pointed to cold weather and security considerations as reasons supporting the call for a delay in the scheduled February 8 general elections, which have already allocated electoral symbols to political parties and independent candidates.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
