ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Monday urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure holding the general elections within the constitutionally mandated 90-day period.
As per details, a delegation from JI visited the headquarters of the electoral body and called on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and other high-ranking officials.
During the meeting, the JI delegation underscored that the election schedule should have been released alongside the delimitation schedule, which had been announced the previous week.
The delegation conveyed their belief that the ECP should have initiated this consultation process at an earlier stage, which could have helped prevent the premature dissolution of the national and provincial assemblies.
They also pointed out that previous government should have taken measures to ensure a timely census and Council of Common Interest (CCI) meetings, enabling the ECP to finalize constituency processes before assembly terms expired.
Regretting the unfeasibility of conducting elections following the dissolution of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial assemblies, the JI delegation stressed the vital role of public representation in Pakistan.
The delegation suggested that swift action be taken against those responsible for violating the code of conduct, thwarting any potential manipulation of the elections by various groups.
MQM Delegation Visits ECP
In a separate instance, an MQM delegation led by Dr. Farooq Sattar visited the ECP office and discussed pre-election rigging prevention with the Chief Election Commissioner. Dr. Sattar emphasized that the timely completion of constituency delimitation is crucial, aligning with constitutional requirements.
Assuring both delegations, the Election Commission vowed to swiftly complete constituency delimitation and efficiently organize the elections. They affirmed that these processes would occur concurrently. The Chief Election Commissioner praised the valuable suggestions put forth by the political parties and assured their careful review.
The Election Commission also expressed its commitment to forwarding these suggestions to Parliament for potential legislation. The Commission emphasized strict compliance with the code of conduct, promising consistent oversight during the upcoming general elections through a state-of-the-art monitoring control room.
