The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to conduct fresh delimitation of constituencies, which makes it highly probable that the general elections will not be held within the constitutionally mandated 90-day limit.
Earlier this month, the Council of Common Interests (CCI) approved the results of the 2023 digital census, making it necessary for the ECP to carry out fresh delimitation. This process is expected to take around four months.
In response to these developments, the National Assembly was dissolved prematurely and the Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government bid farewell on August 9.
According to Article 224 of the Constitution, the ECP is bound to hold general elections within 90 days of the dissolution. Additionally, Section 17(2) of the Elections Act states that “the commission shall delimit constituencies after every census is officially published.”
The Chairman of the ECP has expressed concerns about the implications of holding elections without fresh delimitation. However, he has fewer concerns about the implications of not meeting the constitutional requirement of conducting elections within 90 days.
The first step in the delimitation process is freezing the boundaries of administrative units across the country by August 17. Delimitation committees for all provinces and the federal capital will be formed by August 21. Subsequently, administrative arrangements for delimitation, including obtaining necessary data, maps, district census reports, and descriptions of districts and tehsils, will be completed between August 22 and August 30.
Training will be provided to the delimitation committees from September 1 to September 4. District quotas for national and provincial assemblies will be shared with the committees between September 5 and September 7. Preliminary delimitations of constituencies will be prepared by the committees from September 8 to October 7.
On October 9, preliminary delimitations will be published, followed by a period for people to submit objections and recommendations to the ECP on the initial delimitation from October 10 to November 8. The ECP will review and decide on all objections from November 10 to December 9, and the final list of constituencies will be published on December 14.
In a separate directive, the ECP has instructed all those in service of Pakistan to assist in the delimitation process under Article 220 of the Constitution. This is to ensure that elections can be held in accordance with Article 218(3) of the Constitution.
The ECP has directed provincial chief secretaries, chief commissioner, federal government, and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics to provide the necessary information and documentation for the delimitation process.
Notably, the PTI and PPP have expressed opposition to the ECP’s decision. The PTI has rejected the delimitation schedule, claiming that it is based on “ill-intent” and goes against the Constitution. The PTI has also stated its intention to challenge the ECP’s notification in the Supreme Court. The PPP, on the other hand, has demanded that elections be held in accordance with the Constitution and emphasized that there is no constitutional requirement for delimitation, but there is a requirement to hold elections within 90 days.
As of now, it seems likely that the elections in Pakistan will be delayed as the ECP proceeds with the necessary delimitation process.