ECP committed to early elections, PTI, JUIF teams told

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday assured the representatives of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) that it was committed to conducting elections at the earliest opportunity.

This assurance was extended during the commission’s consultation on the election roadmap with the representatives of PTI and JUIF. They were invited as part of the commission’s ongoing consultation process with prominent political parties on matters such as delimitations, the organisation of general elections and related issues.

Led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, the commission communicated its commitment to ensuring equal opportunities for all parties in the upcoming elections and stressed the need for transparency in the electoral process. The commission’s Media Coordination and Outreach Wing issued a statement at the conclusion of the meeting, affirming these points.

Members of the election commission, the secretary, and other senior officials attended the meeting. The PTI delegation attended the meeting at 2pm, while representatives from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) joined at 3pm to provide their input on the election roadmap.

The PTI delegation emphasised the necessity of holding elections within 90 days in accordance with the Constitution. They advocated for immediate release of apprehended party leaders and supporters, permission to hold political rallies and equal political opportunities for the PTI. Additionally, the PTI delegation expressed the belief that delimitation is unnecessary at this point.

On the other hand, the consultative delegation from the JUIF acknowledged the constitutional requirement for holding elections but stressed the importance of completing the delimitation process following the official publication of census results. They highlighted the need for accurate voters estimation based on the new census data and called for corrections to electoral roll discrepancies and appointment of unbiased returning officers. The commission affirmed its commitment to ongoing consultations with political parties for future collaboration.

The meeting was attended by PTI members Dr. Babar Awan, Barrister Ali Zafar, Umair Niazi and Ali Muhammad Khan (via video link). Representing the JUIF were Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Jalaluddin, Maulana Darwesh, Kamran Murtaza (via video link), and other delegates. The atmosphere of the consultative meeting was cooperative and congenial. Subsequently, PTI and JUI-F leaders briefed the media outside the Election Commission, outlining the topics discussed during the meeting.

Barrister Ali Zafar of the PTI expressed appreciation for the commission’s invitation and highlighted three main points discussed during the meeting: the election commission’s responsibility to ensure elections within 90 days; the PTI’s commitment to supporting fair elections within this timeframe; and the requirement to amend Article 51 of the Constitution for census implementation.

Maulana Senator Ghafoor Haideri of the JUI-F said the meeting encompassed various important issues and reiterated the desire for elections in line with the Constitution. He stressed the need to prevent a recurrence of the issues faced during the 2018 general elections, aiming for a credible electoral process that garners the nation’s trust.