ISLAMABAD – Two parallel political forces are locking horns over the holding of general elections, one side is of the view that elections should be held on time while the other wants to extend elections by a year. It is worth mentioning here that there are political parties which are also part of the government and they want holding of elections on time.
While some other parties (which are part of ruling alliance), establishments and some individuals want to create such circumstances in the country on the pretext which elections could be delayed. Though lengthy meetings were held among the PPP and PML(N) leaders in Dubai wherein issues regarding the making of the caretaker federal government and holding of general elections were discussed. But both parties could not reach a consensus in this regard.
Sources claimed that it is also yet to be decided whether the current parliament should be dissolved in August or its duration should be extended. PPP leadership reportedly is in favour of holding general elections on time. Some political circles are of the view that keeping in view the situation of caretaker governments in Punjab and KPK which despite Supreme Court directions are being run beyond their constitutional time frame. How can one expect from an expected caretaker government set up in the center that it would hold general elections within the stipulated time.
A couple of days back former governor of Punjab and constitutional expert, Sardar Latif Khosa in a press conference said, “I don’t see general elections in Pakistan during 2023, he further said that neither in 2024 nor in the year 2025”. Another former governor Ch. Muhammad Sarwar was a guest speaker in a ceremony and he said that he would focus on two things as manifest for coming general elections.
Number one he said there should be a local bodies system in the country since it was being exercised across the world and only the local bodies system was a guarantee of the progress of any country. He was of the view that this system was being run successfully in the civilized countries across the Globe. The second thing he said that there should be proportional representation of masses in government but unfortunately within the current political system of Pakistan it was very difficult for a common man to get his due share in government. Only two to three families of Pakistan are enjoying power and now Imran Khan has also joined this class, he lamented.
Participants of the ceremony questioned his second plan for the local bodies system and asked why he was pleading for such a system when the Parliamentary system was intact in the country. They feared that the reason behind the pleading for the local bodies’ elections was to sideline the mainstream politics and Parliamentary system in the country. In the past dictators of the country Gen. Ayub Khan, Gen. Zia ul Haq and even Gen. Musharraf exercised this system.
Another very big and extraordinary fact that can affect the holding of general elections is a notification of a new census. Some political circles are of the view that if a new census is notified it would increase five to six seats of the National Assembly for Balochistan. If it happens, people of Balochistan would demand delay in elections and they would say that till the delimitation of new constituencies general elections should be delayed. They could file a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan in this regard.
