ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) distanced itself from a report claiming the agency has expressed its inability to conduct general elections within three months for various legal hitches and procedural challenges.
Citing sources, a report in Dawn said the preparations for the general elections would require some six months.
“Fresh delimitation of constituencies, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where the number of seats had been increased under the 26th Amendment, and bringing district- and constituency-wise electoral rolls in conformity were the major challenges,” the report quoted the source as saying.
“The Election Commission of Pakistan has not issued any statement regarding the [conducting of] polls,” the commission said in a tweet.
الیکشن کمیشن آف پاکستان
اسلام آباد 5 اپریل 2022
ضروری وضاحتضروری وضاحت کی جاتی ہے کہ الیکشن کمیشن آف پاکستان نے الیکشن سے متعلق کوئی بیان جاری نہیں کیا ھے۔۔۔
ترجمان الیکشن کمیشن. #ECP #ElectionCommissionofPakistan
— Election Commission of Pakistan (OFFICIAL) (@ECP_Pakistan) April 5, 2022
The tweet came hours after former minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Shireen Mazari criticised the body, wondering if the article showed “mala fide intent”.
Is it a “mere coincidence that this comes after […] Bilawal declares elections cannot be held in 3 months? PPP [is] not prepared to go into elections after their extinction in KP LG [polls]”, she wrote in a series of tweets.
How can ECP say this when they have to be prepared to hold elections in 3 months. Shows mala fide intent? Mere coincidence that this comes after cry baby Bilawal declares elections cannot be held in 3 months? PPP not prepared to go into elections after their extinction in KP LG! pic.twitter.com/iAaVTnDLON
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) April 5, 2022
‘GIGANTIC CHALLENGES’
According to Dawn report, the ECP official said a “minimum of three months would be required to complete the exercise, followed by another gigantic task of updating voters’ lists.”
Moreover, some other challenges included procurement of election material, arrangement for ballot papers, and appointment and training of polling staff.
According to the law, a ballot paper with a watermark is to be used which is not available in the country and would have to be imported. The official disclosed the ECP had proposed to “amend the law to provide for ballot papers with a security feature, instead of the watermark.”
He further said that inviting bids and scrutinising financial and technical quotations would also require some time.
Shedding light on the issue regarding the procurement of election material, he said for around 100,000 polling stations, nearly two million stamp pads would be required.
“This is just one example, other material in huge quantities, including scissors and ballpoints, will also have to be procured,” he said.
