There is a heated discussion regarding the postponement of the general elections across the country in which rumors are being spread by the leaders of the political parties that the elections may be postponed due to which there was a lot of anxiety among the ordinary citizens and political workers across the country that what will be the political and democratic future of the country? During the meeting of the Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan with the Chief Justice of Pakistan the ambiguity has been removed to a considerable extent.
The Chief Justice has issued orders to the Election Commission in clear words that the schedule of general elections should be announced as per the scheduled date. It should be remembered that the Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja had an important meeting with the Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faiz Isa in which he discussed the situation regarding the issue of general elections after the order of the Lahore High Court on RO.
According to the sources the Chief Justice Sardar Tariq and Justice Ijazul Hassan also participated in the meeting of Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja in the Supreme Court with Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa. Apart from that Attorney General Mansoor Usman also participated in the meeting.
According to an esteemed TV channel the Chief Election Commissioner came to the Supreme Court on the invitation of the Chief Justice and informed the judges about the injunction of the Lahore High Court. The Chief Justice of Pakistan also met two senior judges before meeting the Chief Election Commissioner.
If the general elections are to be held on February 8, then the Election Commission has to issue the election schedule by today or tomorrow and the election schedule is 54 days. According to the election schedule, December 17 is the first day and February 8 is the 54th day. Remember that the election the commission has announced to hold general elections across the country on February 8, 2024 but a few days ago Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf challenged the decision of the Election Commission to hire bureaucracy for the general elections in the Lahore High Court.
Yesterday on the request of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the Election Commission suspended the notification of taking the services of the bureaucracy for the elections while the Lahore High Court has also constituted a 5-member larger bench headed by the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court on this matter will hear the case. An important step has been taken towards the continuation of democracy in the country by the Chief Justice of Pakistan issuing orders to the Election Commission regarding the general elections.
This is also a clear message for those political parties who want the general elections should be postponed somehow so that they can pursue their own interests. Certainly the Chief Justice of Pakistan has removed the ambiguity about the postponement of the general elections. Now the requisite is that the Election Commission of Pakistan should release the schedule without considering the stay taken by any court because the Supreme Court of the country has declared that the general elections will be held on time.
It should be Remember if the general elections are postponed, it will not be a good omen for the democratic forces because the more the general elections are postponed, the more the democracy in the country will be weakened and the dictatorial thinking will prevail, which will harm the interests of the country and the nation. It is hoped that by the time these lines are published, the Election Commission of Pakistan will have issued a clear schedule in this regard.
On the other hand, along with issuing the schedule the Election Commission also needs to provide equal opportunities to all the parties which has been criticized for many months. Therefore it has become necessary to take steps to conduct fair and transparent elections in the country so that the results of the elections can be recognized.
If the Election Commission of Pakistan ensures fair and transparent elections in the country it will have a great impact on democracy in the future and it will give the Election Commission a new identity as an independent institution.
