JUI-F's Fazl casts aspersions over election commission's autonomy

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Emir Thursday raised questions over the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) autonomy as he stressed the need for security ahead of the much-awaited February 8 polls.

In a press conference in Islamabad, the JUI-F head also announced that given that the polls are still moving forward despite security concerns, he would hold Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja responsible if the party’s workers came under attacks during electioneering.

JUI-F Emir Fazl said his party was still reeling from the Bajaur blast, which resulted in the deaths of more than 40 workers, and banners were put in cities warning people against participating in JUI-F’s rallies.

The elections will be staged on February 8, 2024, but several political actors have warned that there are security threats to the polls and given the recent rise in terrorism, they demanded that the law and order situation should be conducive.

“Cautioning against security threats does not mean that we’re against elections. I have struggled for elections for more than three years; it is my right that my party’s given a good security environment,” Fazl, whose party was part of the previous government, said.

Terrorism has been on the rise in the South Asian nation ever since the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan called off its truce with Islamabad and began targeting military personnel, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies’s data shows that there were 623 militant attacks in 2023, as compared to 380 such attacks in 2022. Among total attacks in 2023, 29 were suicide attacks; whereas in 2022, 15 were suicide attacks.

Low turnout fears

Turning his guns on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Supreme Court, he said three judges summoned the CEC and directed him to file an appeal before the apex court for polls.

“If the election schedule was to be issued on court’s directions, then when will the election commission become independent,” Fazl wondered, terming the current situation as a “judicial martial law”.

It is pertinent to mention here that the ECP had filed a petition in the apex court after detailed deliberations the the court’s senior judges and government officials, following which the top court ordered that no hindrances should be put forth in the way of polls moving forward.

The JUI-F chief added: “If even one of my workers is injured, [I will hold] chief justice and chief election commissioner responsible.”

Fazl added that when the security situation and weather were not favourable, then it would ultimately impact the elections.

“What will happen when the turnout will be impacted due to the weather,” he wondered.

Moving on, Fazl said if political actors’ nomination papers were being snatched, it was “not right”, but noted that nothing wrong was being done to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).