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The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday assured the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) and Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) it will closely monitor election campaigns and electoral expenses and effectively implement a code of conduct for the upcoming general elections after finalizing it in consultation with political parties.
The TLP and PMLQ are the most recent political parties the ECP has consulted with on the electoral roadmap. Over the past two weeks, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja has presided over meetings with the PMLN, PPP, ANP, JI, PTI and JUIF, assuring them of timely elections and a “level playing field” for all candidates.
According to a statement issued after Thursday’s meetings, the ECP said it was working to ensure security in the upcoming polls by securing the services of the Army, police and other law enforcement agencies. It said the PMLQ delegation had endorsed the delimitation exercise initiated after the Council of Common Interests approved census results. It also emphasized, read the statement, that a new delimitation was necessary to ensure fairness.
The TLP delegation, meanwhile, criticized the previous government’s move to “delay” local government elections in Islamabad by changing the number of union councils, saying this authority should not rest with provincial governments. It suggested empowering union councils for better governance at the grassroots level and also stressed on updating voters lists to ensure no deceased were included in them. The party also proposed not drawing returning officers from the judiciary.
The TLP delegation also complained about “inadequate” media coverage of the party and sought an improvement in the election monitoring process to ensure transparency. It echoed the PPP and PTI in calling for general elections within 90 days of the National Assembly’s dissolution.
Both parties, per the statement, expressed confidence in the ECP’s capabilities and commitment to conducting transparent elections. It said the CEC had reiterated the ECP’s commitment to transparent delimitation and free and fair elections and had informed the TLP that it under Article 140A of the Constitution, it was bound to conduct polls as per local government laws.
The CEC, read the statement, had said the ECP was ensuring the removal of deceased and duplicate voters from electoral rolls, adding this was an ongoing process. He also assured the parties that the ECP would consult political parties on the election code and its draft would be sent to all political parties before its implementation to receive proper feedback.
He further informed the TLP that legislation was required on some of their proposals and assured the party the ECP would play its role in this regard.