ECP can postpone Senate election: Dilshad

LAHORE: Former Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Kanwar Dilshad, said Friday the Commission has full authority to postpone Senate election.

Talking to “Jang”, former ECP secretary said if KP Assembly Speaker does not administer oath to women on reserved seats and ECP postpones Senate election schedule there, there will be no election for chairman and deputy chairman of the Upper House.

“If the schedule of Senate election in KP is postponed, electoral college will become incomplete”, he said.

Kanwar Dilshad said delay in election of chairman and deputy chairman of Senate will create a constitutional crisis. The House is inactive at the moment and will remain so. He said the result of the Upper House being non-functional will be that no legislation will be passed. Kanwar Dilshad said election of chairman and deputy chairman of Senate will be illegal and unconstitutional until the electoral process is completed. He said in addition to Article 217 and 218 of the Constitution, the ECP is empowered to postpone the Senate election under Section 8 of Election Act.

Former secretary of ECP said this is for the first time in Pakistan the Upper House is-non-functional since March 11 in the functioning democracy.