Daily Times

There is a feeling of uncertainty following the dissolution of two provincial assemblies and the upcoming by-elections for 93 National Assembly seats across Pakistan because the opposition fears that elections may be postponed under various pretexts. Recent dates for the largest by-elections to the National Assembly and general elections for the assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were proposed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which also requested a further supplementary grant of about Rs 14 billion for the purpose.

However, if one looks at the list of the officers being assigned to important positions, it appears that the caretaker setup in Punjab is busy executing such steps, which smack of retaliation and vendetta. Despite the fact that President Dr Arif Alvi intervened, requesting Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman to declare a date for elections in the province following the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly, no date has been announced.

The government is obligated under Article 224 of the Constitution to arrange elections for a parliament within 90 days after its dissolution. Similarly, Article 105(3)(a) of the Constitution requires the governor to choose a date for elections that is not more than 90 days after the date the parliament was dissolved. Therefore, it is evident that the poll date must fall before April 13 in Punjab and April 17 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. While the ECP struggles to acquire election dates from governors, finances are also required to ensure the process operates properly. It is hoped that the finance minister will not postpone the ECP request for Rs 20 billion in sanctioned money, as well as a supplementary award of more than Rs 14 billion. The most crucial goal for caretaker administrations is to be perceived as neutral and to hold free and fair elections.

But the reality is much different. Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi drew unwarranted attention to himself by naming Bilal Sadique Kamayana as the chief of police in Lahore. He is the same cop who oversaw the infamous police raid on PTI workers during the long march on May 25.

In connection with a claimed audio, the government also filed cases against PTI senior leader Fawad Chaudhry and former chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi’s nephew Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain and son Musa Elahi. The general perception is that the caretaker administration will intensify its crackdown on Imran Khan’s party across Punjab. If this is allowed to happen, we will have another tumultuous election in Pakistan’s history, burying aspirations for democracy’s return. *