ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) asked Parliament to pass legislation empowering it to announce date for general elections. Demand was put forward by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja in separate letters he sent to National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf and Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani.

In his letters, CEC wrote that conduct of elections is dependent upon necessary arrangements to be made by commission to ensure that standards of honesty, justness, fairness provided in Article 218(2) are met. “Commission, under Constitution, is sole arbiter to decide as to whether conducive circumstances exist to conduct elections or not. This mandate is not subordinate to any authority,” letters read. He has suggested amendments in Sections 57(1) and 58 of Election Act (2017) and has requested for these amendments to be presented in Parliament. In view of facts and reasons stated in letter, ECP has asked both NA Speaker and Senate Chairman to be placed before Parliament for adoption with following amendments:

i.”Section 57(1) Commission shall announce date or dates of General Elections by notification in official gazette and shall call upon constituencies to elect their representatives.” ii. “Section 58 Notwithstanding anything contained in Section 57, Commission may at any time after issuance of notification under sub-section (1) of that section, make such alterations in Elections Programme announced in that notification for different stages of election or may issue fresh Election Programme with fresh poll date(s) as may, in its opinion to be recorded in writing, be necessary for purposes of this Act.” It added that judgments of March 1 and April 5 have divested ECP of its constitutional powers to determine as to whether conducive environment in facts and circumstances, exists for conduct of polls in given time, to meet standards mentioned in Article 218(3). CEC mentioned that electoral body has consistently strived to uphold writ of law, fair play and merit in letter and spirit. However, he added that commission’s writ has been systematically challenged on several occasions. “In practice, ECP’s authority has been eroded,” letters stated. “Now Punjab elections are round corner and civil servants have been appointed District Returning Officers (DROs), Returning Officers (ROs) and Assistant Returning Officer (AROs).

Published in The Daily National Courier, April, 11 2023

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