ISLAMABAD: The premier legal bodies in the country, namely the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), have expressed a lack of confidence in Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja regarding the upcoming February 8 elections, casting doubt on their fairness and transparency.
In a statement released on Tuesday, PBC Vice-Chairman Haroon-ur-Rashid and Chairman Executive Committee Hassan Raza Pasha underscored the crucial importance of proceeding with the general elections as scheduled on February 8, 2024. They stressed the need for all political parties and independent candidates to be granted equal opportunities, ensuring a fair and transparent electoral process.
Expressing serious concerns about the conduct of CEC Raja regarding election procedures, delimitations, and seat allocations, they highlighted a growing perception that elections under the incumbent CEC may not be conducted freely and transparently.
The PBC pointed to examples such as the allocation of two National Assembly seats to the CEC’s native district, Jhelum, with a population of approximately 1,382,000. In contrast, district Hafizabad, with around 320,000 people, is allocated only one seat.
The PBC called attention to similar imbalances in seat allocations for District Rawalpindi, raising questions about the transparency of the electoral process. The lawyers’ body stated that CEC Raja’s conduct raises doubts about the integrity of the general elections, creating an environment lacking transparency.
In response to these concerns, the PBC called on the Supreme Court of Pakistan to address the discrepancies rather than endorsing every act of the CEC. The PBC announced plans to convene an all-Pakistan representative convention to formulate a line of action for a lawyers’ movement in consultation with the SCBA to ensure free, fair, and transparent general elections.
In response to the allegations, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected them, stating that no new seat was created in the CEC’s native constituency. The ECP emphasized its commitment to resisting pressure or blackmail.
In a separate statement, SCBA President Shahrad Shaukat and Secretary Syed Ali Imran expressed deep concern about discrepancies in election procedures. They raised questions about the transparency of elections under the incumbent CEC.
They underscored the importance of holding general elections at the scheduled time and called for a level playing field. However, the SCBA expressed doubts about the competence of the Election Commission in addressing rising discrepancies, asserting that fair and impartial elections under the current CEC are not possible.
