The Election Commission of Pakistan has left the nation confused about when it can hold elections. In the latest of its series of meetings with political parties, it said that now it would complete delimitations by November 30 rather than December 15 as it earlier announced. Does that mean it could complete delimitations even earlier? If so, why doesn’t, and hold elections within the constitutionally prescribed time limit of 90 days. The ECP is a constitutional institution, and is supposed to be independent of any interference. It should not have to push back the date of elections (even though the new date means it will still disregard the constitutional limit) to suit anyone’s convenience, or push them forward. It should act as it can, according to the law and constitution.
The pity of the matter is that, at present, the ECP does not face any real pressure because any deadline is pressing. At the moment, it can not only meet the 90-day time-limit, but can deliver elections earlier, because the Election Law allows it to issue an election programme covering 60 days (this was provided to meet situations where assemblies are not dissolved prematurely), though that will change by September 12, when it will become impossible for the ECP to meet the requirements of both the Election Law cand the Constitution. It is something of a pity that the ECP, which is responsible for the key task of holding elections, which is in turn key to the functioning of the Constitution, is not performing its duties independently. This has meant that the entire constitutional scheme has been turned topsy turvy, that the country has been stuck with a crisis with only caretakers running the show.
It is rightly said to be careful what you wish for; the putting off of elections has been followed by a major public crisis which has made control on power fruitless even if it were to be maintained. Therefore it seems only reasonable for the ECP to leave aside delimitations, on which there is no time limit, and obey the constitutional provision on which there is, the holding of elections. It would allow a handover of the crisis to a government that could handle the crisis. The caretakers clearly cannot. Caretaker PM Anwarul Haq Kakar’s saying that there was no crisis shows the caretakers in denial, which will not help solve anything.
