The Election Commission has announced that all political parties have unanimously agreed to hold general elections using the latest census data. This decision was made after consultations with the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) delegation.
The Council of Common Interests (CCI) had previously approved the 2023 census statistics, and now all parties are on board with using this data for the upcoming elections.
The electoral delimitation schedule has been announced in accordance with the Constitution and the law.
During the meeting, the PML-N delegation recommended completing the revision of the electoral list alongside the delimitation process. They also urged the ECP to avoid any delays in conducting the general elections.
The party also recommended that the ECP hold further consultations on the election code of conduct. Specifically, they called for a ban on hate speeches and proposed that candidates be limited to using posters and stickers for their campaigns.
Additionally, the PML-N suggested that political parties should run the election campaign, rather than individual candidates running their own media campaigns.
In response to these suggestions, the ECP assured that it will finalize the election code of conduct after consulting all political parties. The commission emphasized that the upcoming elections will be transparent, impartial, and provide equal opportunities to all parties.
The ECP also stated that strict legal action will be taken against any code violations, and improvements will be made to the election monitoring system.
Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Murtaza Solangi, also confirmed that the government will hold the general elections according to the timeline set by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The caretaker government fully supports the ECP in ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections, as outlined in Article 218(3) of the Constitution.
Overall, this decision to hold elections based on new census data reflects the commitment of all political parties to uphold democratic principles and ensure that the electoral process is fair and unbiased.