Political parties in Pakistan demand timely general elections while yet another resolution seeks delay

Islamabad: A week after Pakistan’s Senate passed a resolution to postpone the February 8 general elections, a similar resolution was submitted to the upper house of the Parliament while two prominent parties unanimously filed a requisition for the Senate session for timely polls.

Moving the resolution, independent Senator Hidayat Ullah on Friday called for postponing the February 8 general elections given the “security challenges.” “It said the upper house ‘calls upon the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Supreme Court’ to consider holding peaceful elections and postpone the polls for three months in the view of the security challenges,” Geo News reported.

On Thursday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) unanimously filed a requisition for the Senate session for timely polls.

Quoting sources, The News International newspaper said that PTI Senator Ali Zafar took signatures from other members on a requisition demanding a discussion on the issue of general elections. "Besides, PPP and Jamaat-e-Islami senators have also supported the move,” it added.

The requisition contends that Pakistan cannot afford political uncertainty; therefore, to strengthen the democratic process and under Article 224 (2) of the Constitution, the general elections should have been held within 90 days.

There were only 14 members out of the 100-strong Senate when on January 5 the resolution, moved by independent lawmaker Senator Dilawar Khan, to delay the polls was passed in the light of extreme weather in hilly areas and the deteriorating security situation. It was slammed as “unconstitutional” by major political parties.

Information Minister Murtaza Solangi and Senator Afnanullah Khan of three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party opposed the move.