Islamabad (By samra athar kakakhel)
Pakistan is ready for General Election 2023
PILDAT Forum on ‘How Prepared is the ECP to hold Free and Fair General Election’ was held on June 13, 2023 in islamabad. Having achieved 90% of implementation of its Strategic Plan, the ECP is ready to hold free and fair general election in 2023, announced the ECP at the PILDAT Forum.
Speakers at the Forum included Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Mr. Zafar Iqbal, Special Secretary of the ECP Mr. Fawad Hasan Fawad, Former Special Secretary to the Prime Minister. Political parties were represented by Senator Syed Ali Zafar of the PTI, Mr. Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha, MNA-PML-N, Senator Taj Haider, PPPP, Senator Kamran Murtaza, MMAP and Mr. Muhammad Abubakar, MNA MQMP.
Special Secretary ECP, Mr. Zafar Iqbal, provided a comprehensive update on the progress made against the ECP’s third strategic plan (2019-2023). He confidently announced that the ECP was fully prepared to hold a free and fair general election, signaling its readiness to fulfill its vital role in the democratic process. Mr. Iqbal’s statement underscores the ECP’s commitment to ensuring a credible electoral process and the tireless work it has undertaken towards this end. The ECP’s strategic plan has been a roadmap for shaping its operations, and today’s update offers a promising sign that the upcoming elections will be handled with utmost professionalism and integrity.
Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, the Federal Minister for Law and Justice, offered the government’s perspective on the upcoming general election, outlining key elements of the Elections Act 2017. Senator Tarar emphasized the role of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in setting the election date, underscoring its legal authority. Acknowledging the financial constraints the ECP faced in the past year, Senator Tarar stated, “Our ECP is a strengthened institution,” adding that these constraints are no longer the case. He assured the attendees that the government is committed to closing its tenure along with the National Assembly within the constitutional framework, as bound by law. Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar lauded the ECP’s proactive approach to ensuring free and fair elections.
Mr. Fawad Hasan Fawad, former Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, highlighted that the ECP requires support and cooperation of the entire democratic society, citizens and parties to discharge its constitutional responsibility of holding free, fair and credible elections. He said that census data is an important component of the election process since it serves as the foundation for constituency delimitation and representation. The difficulties encountered by smaller provinces in accepting census findings point to the necessity for increased openness and engagement throughout the census process. To guarantee that the data obtained is accurate and approved by all stakeholders, the ECP should work closely with the census office. The results of the census are also critical in order to avoid interrupting the election calendar.
Mr. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, President of PILDAT, gave an overview of the Status of the Implementation of ECP’s 3rd Strategic Plan (2019-2023). He emphasized the consistent effort by the ECP to strategize and improve their processes over the past 15 years. He also highlighted the government’s role in facilitating the ECP’s work and how it impacts the electoral process. The ECP has exhibited a noteworthy dedication to strategic planning during the last 15 years. The ECP’s commitment to refining its procedures and adjusting to changing conditions is shown by the development of a strategic plan every five years. Successful strategic plan execution requires collaboration with a diverse variety of stakeholders, including political parties, civil society, the media, and voters themselves.
Senator Syed Ali Zafar of the PTI in his comments emphasized that the General Election must be held latest by October 2023 and that the ECP has a critical role in safeguarding the democratic process. “It would be very surprising and shocking if a commission said we don’t want to hold elections,” he added, emphasizing the ECP’s constitutional obligation to hold elections.
Leading figures from the development sector, civil society, media, academia, and youth also joined the Forum creating an important space for dialogue, fostering mutual understanding and collaboration.
