CARETAKER Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi Tuesday said under Article 218(3) of the Constitution, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would fulfil its responsibility to conduct fair, transparent and impartial elections and the government would support it. Talking to media in the federal capital, the interim minister noted that the Constitution comprised 280 articles, adding that it not only had the article pertaining to holding of elections in 90 days but also had Article 254.
The statement of the Minister comes in the backdrop of persistent rumours that the general elections might be delayed further on the pretext of giving time to the ongoing initiatives on the economic front to mature. Some circles claim that some stakeholders want the February 08 polls postponed till September 2024 so that the country’s economy stabilizes and the future government is in a better position to concentrate on governance issues. The general elections, which are required to be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the National Assembly, could not be held within the stipulated time and the new date of February 08 has been fixed through the involvement of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. No doubt, it was because of the Article-254 that the top court did not take action with respect to violation of the constitutionally-stipulated timeframe for elections as the article clearly says, “When any act or thing is required by the Constitution to be done within a particular period and it is not done within that period, the doing of the act or thing shall not be invalid or otherwise ineffective by reason only that it was not done within that period”. However, the court, while hearing the case on the subject, firmly stated that the new date was sacrosanct and it would ensure the election process is complete on the given deadline. PPP too has expressed the confidence that elections would not be postponed in the presence of the incumbent Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, who is known for upholding supremacy of the Constitution and the law. Whether or not some political parties are ready for elections or not, it would not be advisable to delay electoral exercise further as it would add to the polarization, which is already threatening national unity and cohesion. Given the economic conditions of the country, there is no reason why the new government would not like to pursue the current economic policies with the same vigour as is being demonstrated by the caretaker set-up.
