“Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.”
― Abraham Lincoln
In order to ensure fairness and impartiality in elections, a pragmatic approach must be taken towards the holding of elections in Pakistan. The country has constitutional provisions for the induction of a caretaker government at both federal and provincial levels before elections, to prevent the possibility of a purely political setup that favors one political party over others.
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If Prime Minister Khan’s wishes are respected and elections are held in both Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), there will be a political federal government in place, leading to accusations of partisanship and cries of foul play from the losing parties. Furthermore, if elections are held only in these two provinces and result in two elected governments and two caretaker governments, there is a serious risk of the provincial state machinery being used to swing votes in favor of the ruling parties.
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This step would also conflict with Articles 224 and 224-A of the Constitution, which outline the appointment of caretaker governments in case of a dissolution of the Assembly. The Constitution should not be treated as a toy to be disregarded for the sake of political expediency.
It is, therefore, advisable to hold national and provincial elections simultaneously, which will not only save resources but also ensure a level playing field for all political parties. It will also prevent the possibility of a political federal government in place and the risk of the provincial state machinery being used to influence elections.
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The writer, Yasmeen Aftab Ali, is a lawyer, academic, and political analyst. She has authored a book titled “A Comparative Analysis of Media & Media Laws in Pakistan.” She can be contacted at yasmeenali62@gmail.com and tweets at @yasmeen_9.
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