espite the potential delay in fresh polls for the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial assemblies, three major political parties – the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf – are all confident of their success in securing sizeable representation in the provincial houses, when the elections are held.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has withdrawn the schedule announced for elections in the Punjab and the KP. Its latest decision has been described by the PTI as a violation of the constitution as well as a Supreme Court order and has challenged it before the court which has formed a five-member bench to hear the case. The PML-N and the PPP have said they want the National Assembly as well as the provincial assemblies to complete their five year terms and the general elections across the country to be held thereafter. If the Supreme Court upholds the ECP decision, their wish will be fulfilled. General elections are due in October, if the National Assembly completes its term.

The PTI has insisted that fresh elections within 90 days of the dissolution of an assembly are constitutionally binding. Most PTI leaders say their party will benefit from early elections.

A resolution adopted in the National Assembly this week gave a clear indication that the ruling alliance does not want elections to the two dissolved assemblies to be held ahead of the National Assembly. However, the parties claim that this delay is not out of fear of an electoral loss.

The PTI leaders have been saying unequivocally that the rival parties are shying from elections on account of obvious signs that they are going to be routed in the next elections. They point out that public support for Imran Khan, the PTI chairman, is peaking. The party is confident that it can win a two-thirds majority in the elections. “All the opinion polls and surveys clearly indicate that the PTI is going to win the upcoming elections. That is why the ruling parties want to delay the elections to the two dissolved provincial assemblies,” says Fawad Chaudhry, senior PTI leader and former federal minister. He says that the PML-N and the PPP realise that their time is up and are dragging their feet in a clear violation of the constitution.

Following the dissolution of the two provincial assemblies, the PTI had accelerated its election campaign. It had also finalised its candidates for most constituencies.

A recent Gallup poll found that 61 percent of Pakistanis had a positive opinion of PTI chairman Imran Khan, compared to 36 percent for Nawaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

PML-N leaders, however, say they will emerge as the largest party in the upcoming polls, provided the elections are held simultaneously across the country. “The ECP’s decision to delay the elections is on account of the security threats and the financial situation, not because we foresee a defeat. The PML-N is very confident of its victory,” Marriyum Aurangzeb, the minister for information and broadcasting, tells The News on Sunday. She says that simultaneous elections across the country are in the best national interest. She says the PML-N will clean sweep in the Punjab in the upcoming elections. “The Punjab belongs to the PML-N. The recent rallies led by Maryam Nawaz Sharif have been massive and encouraging,” she says. “You will see when the time comes,” she adds. The minister says that the government wants transparent, impartial and fair elections.

Faisal Karim Kundi, a PPP leader, says that his party is ready to contest elections in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Kundi says the PPP will form the next federal government and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will be the next prime minister of the country. He says that many political leaders have recently joined the PPP in the Punjab, especially in the southern districts. Kundi says the PPP will take part in the electoral process under its own banner. He says a decision of whether or not to forge an electoral alliance with the PML-N or some other political party will be taken later. He also says the party cannot be expected to reveal its strategy at this stage. The poll results notwithstanding, Kundi says the people are fed up with the PTI. “Our party will sweep the elections,” he says.

The writer is a staff member. He can be reached at vaqargillani@gmail.com and he tweets @waqargillani