The Council of Common Interests (CCI) approved the results of 2023 digital census on Saturday, making it al most certain that general elections may not be held this year as a fresh delimitation, which may take months, has now become compulsory as per Article 51 of the Constitution. In an interview with a private television channel, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar also confirmed that it would take more than five months to hold elections on the basis of latest census.
The fact of matter is that enumeration had concluded throughout the country on May 22 and preliminary results were also announced a day later. Though some political parties at that time raised objections on the census results, yet if its ratification by the CCI was not delayed and the delimitation exercise was started immediately, then we would not have been faced with this predicament today. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has already announced to dissolve the assemblies on August 9 three days before the expiry of government’s term, after which the Constitution requires holding an election in ninety days. However, according to this latest development, it is expected that the caretaker governments will stay longer than their mandated period. Our country is already faced with immense challenges especially on economic front and only an elected government through short, medium and long-term policies can steer it out of this quagmire. Though through a latest piece of legislation, the caretakers have been empowered to some extent, yet it is the elected government that enjoys more trust and confidence both at home and abroad.
In this backdrop, it is important that process of delimitation must be started immediately and it must not face any delay. The ECP has to complete the delimitation process within an outer limit of one hundred and twenty days but this period could be reduced through fast tracking the process and this must be so in order to reduce the period of delay in elections. In addition, the census results should also ring alarm bells and needful should be done to check the population growth. Our response to this challenge will define the country’s trajectory. Strategic actions, grounded in education and healthcare enhancements, can transform the ticking time bomb into a managed and sustainable demographic transition.
