The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is no doubt a respected and independent organisation of the government of Pakistan and both the government and opposition parties appreciate its sanctity as well as autonomy. That much is clear enough. Yet for the commission to issue such a pointed press release, that too in response to a position taken by the prime minister himself, risks taking a very important and sensitive debate in a very wrong direction. That Shibli Faraz and Fawad Chaudhary, federal ministers for information and science respectively, held a press conference to drive home this point shows that the government at least understands the stakes very well. And the fact that it was the prime minister that decided to take a vote of confidence, instead of letting the opposition go about engineering a no-confidence vote on its own, shows that PTI is eager to get this issue settled in the correct manner. And that, of course, is why it is eager to set the record straight regarding some of the most central aspects about ECP’s functioning over the last fortnight. The commission was very front-foot after irregularities were noted in the Daska by-election very recently, for example, and moved very aggressively to take decisive action regardless of some reservations that some parties had with its way of handling the issue. Yet in the matter of the Senate election controversy it barely budged despite the weight of the evidence that emerged in the form of leaked videos and open public statements by some opposition leaders. And it didn’t seem to have much time for the Supreme Court’s recommendation about use of technology to ensure fair play either, even though the ministry of science and technology ensured it that there was enough time to put traceable bar codes on all ballot papers. Now some of its statements seem in sync with some of what the opposition has to say about the whole matter as well. This is not to question the ECP’s impartiality, just to point out that it must not only be independent in all its affairs but also seen to be clearly non-partisan. This is a very important moment in Pakistan’s political history and evolution but its sensitivity must never be allowed to turn into fragility and the system must never be put under more strain than it can bear. That also makes it very important for all parties, both government and opposition, to respect all state institutions at this moment and give them the breathing space to function without any pressures or intimidation. The PM’s right to raise questions was only enhanced by his decision to opt for a motion of confidence. It is the ECP’s duty to clarify all concerns about everybody affected by its actions, or lack of them as in this particular case. *