Staff Reporter Islamabad
The Election Commission of Pakistan on Friday expressed disappointment over Prime Minister Imran Khan’s hard-hitting speech and statements from a few cabinet members from a day earlier, stressing that the Senate elections were held according to the law and Constitution.
In a written statement, the commission said that it has “never come under any sort of pressure and God willing, will not in future as well”.
“We cannot ignore the law and the Constitution to please anyone,” said the ECP its its statement.
“It is a shocking matter that under the same staff in the same [election] under the same roof on the same day, [what they won] is acceptable and [what they lost] is unacceptable.
Is this not open contradiction?” the commission questioned, adding: “The ECP rejects this.
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Referring to former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s victory over Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, the ECP said it ‘rejects’ the analysis and criticism that is being levelled over one result of the Senate elections.
“This is the beauty of democracy and independent elections and the secret ballot which the entire nation witnessed, which was according to the Constitution,” it said.
The ECP said that it had heard all delegations that had called on it to discuss election-related matters and conducted a detailed review of their concerns and recommendations ahead of the Senate polls.
The ECP iterated that it was a constitutional and independent institution.
“[The ECP] has to see what the law and the Constitution allow and what the standard has to be.
We cannot ignore the law and the Constitution or bring an amendment for anyone’s favour,” it added.
If someone has objections to the body’s decisions or orders, it could take the constitutional way but let the institution work independently, the statement said.
“The election commission hears everyone but fulfills its responsibilities in accordance with the law and Constitution and takes decisions independently, not under any sort of pressure,” the statement read.
