ISLAMABAD: Senator Raza Rabbani from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has issued a warning, stating that any delay in holding the general elections in Pakistan would prove to be “dangerous” for the federation.
This comes in the wake of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) approval of the results of the 2023 digital census.
The CCI’s approval of the 7th Population and Housing Census is likely to result in a delay of the general elections, which were scheduled for November this year, in case the assemblies were dissolved on August 9. The delay is necessary to conduct the delimitation exercise based on the new census data.
Rabbani Asks ECP to Clarify Timeline for General Elections
Senator Rabbani, addressing the Senate session, urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to clarify the timeline for the new delimitations and the upcoming general elections. He emphasized that any delay in the elections would be a violation of the Constitution.
The PPP had previously opposed holding elections based on the 2023 census data but seemingly changed its stance during the CCI meeting, where the census was approved with the consensus of all four chief ministers and representatives of all political parties.
Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar disclosed that it would take over five months to hold elections based on the 2023 digital census data.
During the session, Senator Rabbani also raised questions about the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill 2023, bringing further attention to legislative matters in the country.
