Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Senator Raza Rabbani (left) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan

ISLAMABAD: Senators from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) have voiced their opposition to the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) recent decision to conduct new delimitations, stating that it goes against the constitution as the ECP is required to hold elections within a 90-day period.

Yesterday, the election organizing authority unveiled a timetable for new delimitations aligned with the fresh census endorsed by the Council of Common Interests (CCI) earlier this month.

The ECP's schedule indicates that the process of redefining electoral constituencies will span nearly four months. This has raised concerns as it means the general elections cannot be held within the standard 90 days following the dissolution of the provincial and national assemblies.

PPP Senator Raza Rabbani, in an official statement, highlighted that the ECP's release of the final list of constituencies contradicts Article 224 of the Constitution, which mandates elections "within" 90 days of assembly dissolution.

Rabbani stated, "The delimitation of constituencies is mandated by the Election Act, 2017, particularly when the provincial seat count remains unchanged. To fulfill the constitutional requirement, the timeline should have been adjusted."

He suggested that the ECP could have requested additional staff from federal and provincial governments to expedite the process and ensure elections within the designated 90 days. Rabbani expressed concern over past constitutional violations, emphasizing that such actions are perilous for the nation.

Meanwhile, JI Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan criticized the ECP's move to delay elections under the pretext of new delimitations, deeming it "unconstitutional".

Khan noted that this decision clashes with Article 224 of the Constitution. He further asserted that the CCI lacked the authority to approve the census and criticized the previous government for supporting this "unconstitutional process".

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