ECP may decide delimitation timeframe today

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is expected to decide today (Tuesday) the timeframe for delimitation of constituencies afresh, following approval of final results of the digital census. The ECP, in its meeting on Monday, directed the legal team to guide it on how to proceed in the light of law and the Constitution on Tuesday.

It was learnt the Commission, in the light of output from the legal team, would weigh the possibility of reducing the timeline to hold elections within 90 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9. Under the Elections Act, 2017, the Election Commission has 90 days for carrying out delimitation and then another month for addressing the related complaints.

Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja presided over the ECP meeting here at its secretariat to review the situation and ponder over the ways and means to proceed in relation to the new census. The meeting was attended by four ECP members as well as the commission secretary, special secretary and the legal team.

In another development, the ECP also called on its scrutiny committee to submit reports of foreign funding of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in next 10 days and that should be taken as a final deadline. Moreover, the commission directed the Law Wing to approach different courts concerned for immediate hearing and decisions of all private complaints, filed by the Election Commission, pending in various courts so as to ensure timely decisions and implementation of the complaints.

The ECP held its first meeting after approval of the digital census and a day after a PPP Senator Mian Raza Rabbani asked the Commission in the Senate to break silence over the issue of delimitation amidst speculations about delay in polls.

Separately, the ECP strongly denied all the news circulating in the media that the PTI chairman had been removed from the party post, said its Media Coordination and Outreach Wing.

The ECP also met to decide the date for holding local governments elections in Islamabad. The meeting was presided over by Nisar Ahmad Durrani, Member Sindh. The meeting was attended by the ECP members, secretary, special secretary and other senior officers.

The ECP secretary told the participants that a meeting had been convened for Tuesday (today) for deciding date for polling and conducting the local governments elections in the federal capital Islamabad. The ECP has completed all its preparations. But the Commission needs a notification about the number of reserved seats and Section 17 of the Local Government Act needs to be amended.

In his briefing, the interior secretary said the limits of election expenditure for candidates had been fixed and a summary prepared for notification of the number of reserved seats. So that necessary legislation was made.

“It is the prerogative of parliament to legislate, so as soon as the legislation is enacted, the Election Commission will be provided with the necessary amendments,” he said.

The ECP expressed strong displeasure over the stand and ordered that the approval of the allotment of reserved seats should be taken immediately and the amendments required to Section 17 should also be completed forthwith so that the Election Commission could discharge its constitutional and legal responsibilities.

The Election Commission said that the Ministry of Interior should clarify its position in writing in this regard today (Tuesday). In this regard, it was decided to hold a meeting of the Commission again next week.