Chief Election Commissioner hints at announcing Election Schedule in next few days

ISLAMABAD, Aug 30 (APP): Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja on Wednesday hinted that the election schedule might be revealed in the next few days, after reducing the timeframe of the ongoing constituency delimitation process.

In three separate meetings, chaired by CEC, the ECP interacted with delegations from Awami National Party (ANP), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), and Balochistan National Party (BNP) to address the forthcoming election roadmap.

Chief Election Commissioner announced that the delimitation process will conclude within 120 days, by December 14, 2023. The Election Commission plans to shorten the delimitation process and promptly announce the election schedule afterward.

The Chief Election Commissioner reassured the delegations that “the delimitation process will be efficiently shortened, and the announcement of immediate elections will follow, maintaining transparency and adhering to the constitution and laws.”

The Awami National Party’s delegation emphasized holding elections within 90 days as per the constitution. They suggested that the Election Commission should have consulted political parties before starting the delimitation process. According to the constitution, the Commission cannot change the number of seats in provincial assemblies. Therefore, new delimitation wasn’t necessary.

They emphasized their trust in the Commission as a constitutional entity, implying that its delimitation decision would be considered. The timely announcement of the election date and schedule is now crucial for instilling confidence in political parties and the public.

The Balochistan Awami Party delegation supported the Election Commission’s recent delimitation choices. BAP representatives noted that with the release of census results, initiating new delimitation could result in inconsistencies for political parties, candidates, and the public. They advised prioritizing impartial delimitation and unbiased elections to maintain fairness and transparency.

Moreover, they stressed the importance of accounting for regional climatic variations when setting the election schedule post-delimitation. This approach aims to ensure candidates and voters face no hardships during the elections. They commended the Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commission’s achievements, underscoring their unwavering faith in their capabilities. The Balochistan Awami Party reaffirmed their full trust in the Election Commission, built on past decisions.

Agha Hassan Baloch, representing the Balochistan National Party, conveyed strong trust in the Election Commission. He recommended holding elections within 90 days, considering the recent census’s inaccurate depiction of Balochistan’s population. Consequently, his party opposed the need for new delimitation. However, if the Commission determines its necessity, he urged proper and accurate delimitation for all constituencies, including those previously delimitated incorrectly.

In addition to Sikandar Sultan Raja, the meetings included the presence of Election Commission members, Secretary ECP, and other senior officers.
Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Zahid Khan, Khushdil Khan, and Abdul Rahim Wazir, representing the Awami National Party, Nasibullah, Manzoor Kakar, Noor Muhammad Dummar, and Sardar Abdul Rahman Khetran represented the Balochistan Awami Party. Abdul Kareem Nosherwani, Ms. Sana Jamali, and Dhanesh Kumar represented the Balochistan National Party.