ISLAMABAD: Federal Law Minister Senator Azam Nazir Tarar said Tuesday the government is committed to finishing its tenure with the National Assembly under the constitutional framework. “Holding general elections at the same time was in the interest of the country,” he said while speaking at a Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (Pildat) forum on ‘How Prepared is the ECP to hold Free and Fair General Election’ held here on Tuesday.
Having achieved 90 percent of implementation of its strategic plan, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is ready to hold free and fair general election in 2023, the electoral body announced at the forum.
Besides Azam Nazeer Tarar, ECP Special Secretary Zafar Iqbal, former special secretary to the prime minister Fawad Hasan Fawad, PTI’s Senator Syed Ali Zafar, PMLN’s Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha, PPP’s Senator Taj Haider, MMAP’s Senator Kamran Murtaza and MQMP’s Muhammad Abubakar spoke on the occasion.
The law minister offered the government’s perspective on the upcoming general election, outlining key elements of the Elections Act 2017. He emphasised the ECP role in setting the election date, underscoring its legal authority.
He said it was not the power of the president to give the date of the election under the 1976 law, as this was the power of the ECP.
Tarar said that once the budget session is over, a law will be brought to empower the ECP on the date of elections. He said many proposals of legislation were being considered under which elections to the prematurely dissolved assembly will be held to complete the remaining constitutional term instead of five years.
According to the proposal, the minister said, the constitutional term of the National Assembly and provincial assemblies will be five years and if the prime minister or the chief minister dissolves the assembly at his discretion before the constitutional term, the elections will be held for the remaining constitutional term.
Acknowledging the financial constraints the ECP faced in the past year, Senator Tarar stated, “Our ECP is a strengthened institution,” adding that these constraints are no longer the case.
He assured the gathering that the government is committed to finishing its tenure with the National Assembly under the constitutional framework. The minister lauded the ECP’s proactive approach to ensuring free and fair elections.
The ECP special secretary provided a comprehensive update on the progress made against the commission’s third strategic plan (2019-2023).
He confidently announced that the ECP was fully prepared to hold a free and fair general election, signaling its readiness to fulfill its vital role in the democratic process.
The former principal secretary to the PM highlighted that the ECP requires support and cooperation of the entire democratic society, citizens and parties to discharge its constitutional responsibility of holding free, fair and credible elections.
He said that census data is an important component of the election process since it serves as the foundation for constituency delimitation and representation. “The difficulties encountered by smaller provinces in accepting census findings point to the necessity for increased openness and engagement throughout the census process,’ Fawad Hasan said.
To guarantee that the data obtained is accurate and approved by all stakeholders, the ECP should work closely with the census office.
The results of the census are also critical in order to avoid interrupting the election calendar.
Pildat President Ahmed Bilal Mehboob gave an overview of the status of the implementation of ECP’s 3rd Strategic Plan (2019-2023).
He emphasised the consistent effort by the ECP to strategise and improve their processes over the past 15 years.
He also highlighted the government’s role in facilitating the ECP’s work and how it impacts the electoral process.
He said the ECP’s commitment to refining its procedures and adjusting to changing conditions is shown by the development of a strategic plan every five years. “Successful strategic plan execution requires collaboration with a diverse variety of stakeholders, including political parties, civil society, the media, and voters themselves,” he said.
Senator Syed Ali Zafar in his comments emphasised that the general election must be held latest by October 2023 and that the ECP has a critical role in safeguarding the democratic process. “It would be very surprising and shocking if a commission said we don’t want to hold elections,” he added, emphasising the ECP’s constitutional obligation to hold elections.
Leading figures from the development sector, civil society, media, academia, and youth also joined the forum creating an important space for dialogue, fostering mutual understanding and collaboration.
