ISLAMABAD: The delegations of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) were assured by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of its commitment to conducting the upcoming general elections at the earliest opportunity, The News reported Friday.
The electoral body’s resolve came during its consultations with the representatives of PTI and JUI-F on the election roadmap.
The discussions were part of ECP’s deliberations with major political parties on electoral matters such as delimitations, conducting the polls and other related issues.
According to ECP’s Media Coordination and Outreach Wing statement, the forum, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, stressed the need for transparency in the electoral process whereas it also assured its obligation to ensure equal opportunities for all parties.
Members of the election commission, the secretary, and other senior officials attended the meeting. The PTI delegation attended the meeting at 2pm, while representatives from the JUI-F joined at 3pm to provide their input on the election roadmap.
The PTI delegation emphasised the necessity of holding elections within 90 days in accordance with the Constitution. They advocated for immediate release of apprehended party leaders and supporters, permission to hold political rallies and equal political opportunities for the PTI.
Additionally, the party delegation expressed the belief that delimitation is unnecessary at this point.
On the other hand, the delegation from the JUI-F acknowledged the constitutional requirement for holding elections but stressed the importance of completing the delimitation process following the official publication of census results.
They highlighted the need for accurate estimation of voters based on the new census data and called for corrections to electoral roll discrepancies and the appointment of unbiased returning officers.
The commission affirmed its commitment to ongoing consultations with political parties for future collaboration.
The PTI’s delegation comprised Dr Babar Awan, Barrister Ali Zafar, Umair Niazi and Ali Muhammad Khan (via video link) while Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Jalaluddin, Maulana Darwesh, and Kamran Murtaza (via video link) represented the JUI-F.
The atmosphere of the consultative meeting was cooperative and congenial. Subsequently, PTI and JUI-F leaders briefed the media outside the commission, outlining the topics discussed during the meeting.
Barrister Zafar appreciated the commission’s invitation and highlighted three main points discussed during the meeting: the election commission’s responsibility to ensure elections within 90 days; the PTI’s commitment to supporting fair elections within this timeframe; and the requirement to amend Article 51 of the Constitution for census implementation.
JUI-F’s Senator Haideri said the meeting encompassed various important issues and reiterated the desire for elections in line with the Constitution.
He stressed the need to prevent a recurrence of the issues faced during the 2018 general elections, aiming for a credible electoral process that garners the nation’s trust
Comments are closed.