ECP expected to determine delimitation schedule today

• Commission directs legal team for guidance on future actions.
• ECP will assess feasibility of expediting polls' timetable in 90 days.
• Law allows one month to address grievances after delimitation.

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is likely to make a decision today regarding the delimitation timeframe of constituencies, following the formal approval of the country's first-ever digital census.

In a session held on Monday, the ECP directed its legal team to provide guidance for the forthcoming course of action in accordance with the law and the Constitution, with the decisions expected to be made today, The News mentioned in its report.

In line with the advice from its legal advisors, the electoral body will assess the feasibility of expediting the timetable to hold elections within a span of 90 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9.

As per the Elections Act of 2017, the ECP should conduct the delimitation process in 90 days, followed by an additional month to address any relevant grievances.

The meeting, held at the ECP's headquarters and chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, was attended by four members of the commission, along with its secretary, special secretary, and the legal team, to review the prevailing situation and deliberate on strategies to navigate the path forward with regards to the updated census data.

In another development, the ECP also called on its scrutiny committee to submit reports of foreign funding of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in the next 10 days and that should be taken as a final deadline.

Moreover, the commission directed the Law Wing to approach different courts concerned for immediate hearings and decisions of all private complaints, filed by the commission, pending in various courts so as to ensure timely decisions and implementation of the complaints.

The ECP held its first meeting after approval of the digital census and a day after PPP Senator Mian Raza Rabbani asked the Commission in the Senate to break the silence over the issue of delimitation amidst speculations about the delay in polls.

Separately, the ECP strongly denied all the news circulating in the media that the PTI chairman had been removed from the party post, said its Media Coordination and Outreach Wing.

The ECP also met to decide the date for holding local government elections in Islamabad. The meeting was presided over by Nisar Ahmad Durrani, Member Sindh. 

The meeting was attended by the ECP members, secretary, special secretary and other senior officers.

The commission's secretary told the participants that a meeting had been convened for Tuesday (today) for deciding date for polling and conducting the local government elections in the federal capital Islamabad.

The ECP has completed all its preparations. But the Commission needs a notification about the number of reserved seats and Section 17 of the Local Government Act needs to be amended.

In his briefing, the interior secretary said the limits of election expenditure for candidates had been fixed and a summary prepared for notification of the number of reserved seats. Therefore, necessary legislation was made.

“It is the prerogative of parliament to legislate, so as soon as the legislation is enacted, the Election Commission will be provided with the necessary amendments,” he said.

The ECP expressed strong displeasure over the stand and ordered that the approval of the allotment of reserved seats should be taken immediately and the amendments required to Section 17 should also be completed forthwith so that the electoral authority could discharge its constitutional and legal responsibilities.

The commission stated said that the interior ministry should clarify its position in writing in this regard today (Tuesday). In this regard, it was decided to hold a meeting of the Commission again next week.