It has been nearly four years since the last census took place in the country in 2017. However, official publication of the census results is still pending and this delay has posed a legal hitch in the long-overdue local government elections in the provinces. Now, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has once again called for the official publication of the results so that the process of elections can move forward. In Pakistan, the conduct of census itself has been a matter of controversy for decades. An exercise that should take place after every ten years now takes place after a passage of nearly 20 years. That too creates a lot of ill-will, and seldom is a census in Pakistan accepted as a true reflection of the changing demography in the country. Various segments of society, including diverse ethnic groups and rural and urban populations especially in the big cities keep raising questions about the impartiality and objectivity of census results.
When the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) came into being nearly two decades ago with huge investments from the government exchequer, there were hopes that once and for all the matter of how many eligible voters there are in the country would settle for good. Since the controversy regarding census results appears to be lingering on, perhaps the ECP would do better by utilizing the data from NADRA to finalize the electoral rolls. It is the ECPs constitutional and legal responsibility to hold elections per the given timeframe and any delay is tantamount to unforgivable procrastination. There is a need for new delimitation of constituencies and the ECP can do it with better coordination with NADRA. If there is a legal obligation to follow the census data, the government should introduce some new legislation allowing the ECP to use the data from NADRA, which is up-to-date. Similarly, if some provincial governments such as in Balochistan want to make amendments to their local-government acts or laws, they should do it on a priority basis, and the ECP should not allow any provincial governments to keep such legislation pending for long. There is always a need to make new laws or amend the existing ones but as a matter of routine they should not hinder the process of elections in any part of the country. Now that the ECP has granted 10 more days to the government of Balochistan to make necessary amendments, it should move fast, failing which the ECP has every right to proceed with the existing laws. Since the ECP has also summoned Punjab’s chief secretary and local government secretary on Feb 15, they should appear in the meeting with full preparations and not try to further delay the process.
It is a matter of concern that local governments have been the most neglected tier of governance in Pakistan. Successive governments have tried to paralyze local bodies in favour of bureaucracy and provincial governments by appointing administrators at the behest of provincial ministers or MPAs belonging to the ruling party. Another tactic that each new provincial government uses is initiating a revision or redrafting the local government laws. This practice is no secret and has been going on for decades, it is about time the ECP put its foot down and proceeded with the electoral process.