In Islamabad, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar from the Federal Law and Justice Party argued in favour of holding concurrent elections across Pakistan, citing the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) right to do so under the law.
Tarar briefed the international media on Thursday about the Supreme Court’s ruling and the government’s response, claiming that the only way to address the current constitutional, political, and legal issues was to ensure transparency and fairness by holding nationwide elections simultaneously.
Tarar believed that the Supreme Court’s ruling breached the constitution, as it stated that the ECP was responsible for conducting elections and that a structure was already in place. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court directed those provincial elections proceed, causing a constitutional problem in Pakistan. The Law and Justice Minister responded by making comments and the decree was denied by Parliament the same day.
As per the government’s stated position, the federal government is resolved to hold off on holding elections and instead cooperate with the assembly. The Law Minister claimed that holding elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in accordance with the court’s directives and then again in October after the terms of the National Assembly, Sindh provincial assemblies, and Baluchistan provincial assemblies have ended will result in yet another constitutional and political crisis.
Senator Azam Tarar insisted that elections must take place concurrently across the nation and that the ECP is responsible for overseeing elections and ensuring that they are conducted fairly, according to the law. Election-related appeals are currently being heard in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The federal cabinet disapproved of the Supreme Court’s ruling because it thought that the majority verdict shouldn’t be changed to reflect the views of the minority, causing a constitutional catastrophe. However, the National Assembly fully passed a motion on March 28 that called for the holding of general elections in a timely manner for all national legislatures to guarantee political security. Additionally, Pakistan’s security situation was concerning, and counterterrorism actions were being aggressively carried out by the security forces. Senator Azam Tarar stated that it would not be feasible to hold distinct elections in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, given the current security scenario.