Pakistan’s upcoming general elections for the Punjab and KP assemblies hang in the balance as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) faces resistance from relevant authorities.
Officials from the Finance Division and the interior ministry continue to make excuses about a lack of funding, a financial crisis, a lack of police and civil armed forces, despite the Supreme Court having already issued clear directives in this regard.
According to sources, Rs 20 billion will be needed for the upcoming elections in Punjab and KP, but only Rs 5 billion has been made available thus far, casting doubt on their availability. Additionally, Rs65 billion will be needed for the nation’s general elections.
The country was in the midst of an unprecedented economic crisis, the finance secretary said during a meeting with the CEC, and was governed by an IMF programme with strict goals for preserving deficit and fiscal restraint.
However, citing a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, the Election Commission emphasised that holding general elections was a constitutional requirement. Officials were tasked by the commission with requesting government directives and acting quickly.
A total of 56,000 security personnel will be needed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to the ECP Secretary, who also informed the meeting that 297,000 more security personnel will be needed in Punjab.
ECP officials will meet with representatives of IB, ISI, and CTDs of the two provinces to finalise preparations for the upcoming general elections. On the same day, another meeting is planned with representatives from the Directorate General of Military Operations and the Ministry of Defence.
Additionally, the ECP has scheduled a meeting for next week with the chief secretaries and inspectors general of police from the two provinces.
In the meantime, a group of PTI officials, led by Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood met Sikandar Sultan Raja at ECP Secretariat to voice their displeasure with the “illegal steps” the Punjab caretaker chief minister is allegedly taking.
They specifically raised questions about the imposition of Section 144 in Lahore after the announcement of the election schedule. The PTI delegation called for steps to ensure a level playing field for general elections in Punjab and KP assemblies.
The commission gave the delegation the assurance that it would discuss the issue of allowing public rallies for elections with the acting chief minister. The ECP also pledged that it would take all reasonable measures to guarantee a level playing field for all competitors.
Additionally, the PTI delegation urged the ECP to make another approach to the judiciary in order to hire judicial officers to act as district returning officers and returning officers, as doing so would increase the confidence of political parties and voters in the electoral process.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor was forewarned that if he disobeyed the Constitution and the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the provincial assembly elections, the PTI leader’s party would file a motion with the court for contempt of court.
As a result, officials in relevant circles are resisting Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies’ upcoming elections.
The commission cited the Supreme Court’s most recent decision and emphasised that holding general elections was required by the constitution. ECP officials will meet with representatives of various law enforcement agencies to finalise preparations for the upcoming general elections.
The PTI delegation urged the ECP to hire judicial officers in order to ensure fair competition for the general elections in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies.
