President's letter to Election Commission of Pakistan

President Dr. Arif Alvi has sent a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner regarding the elections of provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In the letter, the Election Commission has been asked to immediately announce the date of the provincial assembly elections as per the Election Act 2017. The President of the State has said that it is necessary to release the election schedule for the Provincial Assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to end the propaganda based on dangerous speculations regarding the provincial elections of Punjab and KP as well as the future general elections.

Article 224(2) of the Constitution mandates the holding of elections within 90 days after the dissolution of any assembly, whereas according to the Constitution of Pakistan, if any person or institution violates the Constitution, Article 6 of the Constitution shall be revoked. The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Umar Atta Bandyal, has said that the Election Commission had said in the speaker rolling case that he would be ready to hold general elections in November 2022. It has been said that if the Election Commission fails to perform its duties regarding the elections, the Election Commission will be held responsible and accountable for the violation of the country's constitution. If you look at it anyway, there is a crisis situation at this time, the situation is not being handled by the setup in the federation, the only solution is to go to the people and get a new mandate, at that time constitutionally scheduled elections. The delay has done long-term damage to democracy.

?If seen, not only the Election Commission but many institutions are escaping from their constitutional responsibility. Last day, the important meeting of the Election Commission was held under the chairmanship of the Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, in which the members of the Election Commission besides, the Secretary Election Commission, Chief Secretary Punjab, IG Punjab, Secretary Finance and Secretary Local Government Punjab and senior officers of Election Commission participated. The Punjab Police said that there is a threat of terrorism during the elections, cooperation is difficult until the ongoing operation in the province is completed and the Punjab Police is engaged in operations in various areas which will be completed in four to five months. It will be a difficult task to make the police operation complete. While the Chief Secretary Punjab said that the month of Ramadan is coming during the elections, in which the administrative officers are appointed for price control and security for the worshipers in the mosques, so it will be difficult to provide security for the elections. In view of increasing threats of terrorism and serious law and order problems, Army, Rangers cannot be deployed at polling stations during the elections, however, Quick Response Force will be present in sensitive areas, Rangers and FC outside the polling stations. On the deployment, the Ministry of Defense said in a letter to the Home Secretary that the armed forces and civil armed forces are engaged in border management and internal security management. Threats of terrorism are increasing in the country.

The armed forces will be engaged in the census process from February 27 to April 3. The Ministry of Finance said that 12 billion rupees can be given for the general elections of the two provincial assemblies and the by-elections of the National Assembly, while the Election Commission needs more than 60 billion rupees for election expenses. Everyone is working diligently. . If the date is reviewed, there are also judicial precedents related to conducting the election in 90 days.

In the Lahore High Court, the lawyer of the Election Commission said that we have to conduct the election, but the date has been given by the Governor, the date of the by-election should have been given by the Election Commission. Yes, but the law is different in the authority to give the date of the general election. Besides, Article 218 says that the Election Commission has to conduct the election, if the governor does not conduct the election, then the Election Commission must conduct the election under Article 218, but if you look at it, then the ruling PDM has set up a strategy related to the delay in the election of the provincial assemblies The polls should be conducted after the new census. If it is seen, as much as the polls are delayed, the performance of the ruling parties is affected. While the country is also going backward day by day, therefore, the institution that protects the Constitution should play a role in making the observance of the Constitution of Pakistan mandatory so that the state of agitation in the country can be ended.