• Third move to seek delay comes three weeks before polling day
• Senator from ex-Fata region cites harsh weather, security
• Feb 8 proving to be ‘unsuitable’ for KP, says resolution

ISLAMABAD: As electioneering in the country has only started gathering momentum, yet another resolution has landed in the Senate Secretariat in an attempt to press the relevant authorities to delay the general elections, scheduled to be held on Feb 8.

An independent senator, Hilalur Reh­m­an, hailing from the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), submitted the resolution seeking delay in the polls due to harsh weather and deteriorating security situation, increasing terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern parts of the country.

The resolution said candidates in KP were under severe threat of terrorist attacks, which created a wave of fear and deprivation among people. The scheduled date of elections in KP proved unsuitable and therefore the elections should be conducted on an appropriate date and not on Feb 8, it added.

This is the fourth resolution filed within a few days about elections. The first one introduced by independent Senator Dilawar Khan on Jan 5 received support primarily from Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) senators and was passed by a quorum-less session of the upper house of parliament.

Seeking the postponement of the general elections over security and bad weather concerns, the resolution, despite later being widely condemned, appeared to have the tacit support of some other parties as well. While the absence of lawmakers from mainstream political parties on the day had raised several questions, PPP senator Bahramand Tangi not only kept silent at the time of the voice vote, but also delivered a speech, highlighting the need for peace before polls. He was later issued a show-cause notice by the PPP for deviating from the party policy.

The passage of the resolution was subsequently condemned by politicians and lawyers, who termed it a “conspiracy against democracy” and asserted that polls be held on time.

While the resolution passed by the Senate was not binding on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and did not affect the schedule of the elections on Feb 8, a series of resolutions seeking delay in the polls have fuelled speculations and added to the prevailing uncertainty among people and political forces about the fate of the vote at a time when elections are only 22 days away.

Emphasising the need to adhere to “constitutional requirements” and to ensure the timely conduct of the polls, another resolution was submitted in the Senate by Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan. Last week, senators belonging to the PTI, PPP and Jamaat-i-Islami also requisitioned a session to discuss the timely conduct of free and fair polls.

Later, an independent senator, Hidayatullah, filed another resolution in the upper house of parliament, seeking delay in polls.

The resolution referred to the surge in acts of terrorism and violence in the country, with particular reference to armed attacks in North Waziristan, Bajaur and Turbat, causing severe injuries to a veteran nationalist politician running for national and provincial assembly seats, and killing of another candidate. The resolution said the incidents had perturbed the country and created an environment of insecurity.

The resolution urged the ECP and the Supreme Court to sympathetically consider the conduct of peaceful elections and postpone the polls for three months in view of the security challenges. During this time, the resolution said, the government should create an environment guaranteeing a level playing field to all political parties and candidates.

KP in focus

On Sunday, a fourth resolution demanding a delay in polls was submitted to the Senate Secretariat by an independent senator from KP, Hilalur Rehman. The resolution mentioned cold weather and increasing incidents of terrorism in KP as reasons to amend the election schedule.

It stated that the increasingly cold weather and snow were not providing a conducive environment for citizens to cast their votes and were also creating challenges for candidates trying to run their election campaign.

“In the same way, due to security concerns in the country, especially in KP, candidates are facing threats of terrorist attacks while campaigning,” it said, adding that it was also creating obstacles and limiting candidates’ participation in their campaigns.

The resolution said that the people of the province and candidates, especially those belonging to erstwhile Fata, were being affected due to these factors.

Sense of deprivation

It added that due to the increasing “sense of deprivation” and the fear of citizens in KP about being left out of the election process, the date announced for the general election was proving to be “unsuitable” for the province.

It urged the ECP to delay polls to a date which was acceptable for all the relevant stakeholders and that would also help in removing hurdles in the way of free and fair elections.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2024