The Election Commission of Pakistan on Friday expressed ‘disappointment’ over Prime Minister Imran Khan’s hard-hitting speech and statements from a few cabinet members from a day earlier, adding that no one should sling mud on the national institutions.
“It is a shocking matter that under the same staff in the same election under the same roof on the same day, what they won is acceptable and what they lost is unacceptable. Is this not open contradiction?” the commission questioned, adding, “The ECP rejects this.”
Stressing that the Senate elections were held according to the law and constitution, in a written statement, the commission said that it has “never come under any sort of pressure and God willing, will not in future as well”. “We cannot ignore the law and the constitution to please anyone,” it added. The electoral body said that if someone disagrees with the ECP’s results, they should come forward with evidence. “If we can listen to your recommendations, why can’t we listen to your complaints? Do not sling mud at us. Have some consideration,” it maintained.
Referring to former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s victory over Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, the ECP said it ‘rejects’ the analysis and criticism that is being levelled over one result of the Senate elections. “This is the beauty of democracy and independent elections and the secret ballot which the entire nation witnessed, which was according to the Constitution,” it said.
The ECP said that it had heard all delegations that had called on it to discuss election-related matters and conducted a detailed review of their concerns and recommendations ahead of the Senate polls. “The election commission hears everyone but fulfills its responsibilities in accordance with the law and Constitution and takes decisions independently, not under any sort of pressure,” the statement read.
The ECP said the Senate elections were held according to the law and the constitution and were conducted in a ‘good way’. It said the statements and discussions that had come to the electoral body through media reports were ‘saddening’, especially statements made by ‘some members of the federal cabinet and specifically what the prime minister said in his address’.
The ECP iterated that it was a constitutional and independent institution. “[The ECP] has to see what the law and the Constitution allow and what the standard has to be. We cannot ignore the law and the constitution or bring an amendment for anyone’s favour,” it added.
The ECP further questioned why the government had not taken the issues it had pointed out to the parliament for legislation, stressing that the commission’s job was not to legislate but to implement the law. “If the constitutional institutions continue to be ridiculed in this way, it is tantamount to their (government’s) weakness and not that of the ECP,” it added. “The commission fulfills its responsibilities as per the constitution and makes decisions independently for promotion of democracy in public. Use of secret ballot paper was a constitutional requirement,” it said, adding that the main responsibility of ECP is not to make legislation but to protect it. “ECP is always ready to listen to any suggestion,” it added. The ECP had convened an important meeting on Friday to review Imran Khan’s speech, who had levelled serious allegations on the role of the electoral body during the Senate polls. The prime minister, in his televised speech, had slammed the ECP for not taking measures to ensure transparent polling and held it responsible for the illegal practice of buying and selling of votes as it did not introduce traceable ballots. Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja summoned the meeting to review the statements and allegation levelled by the prime minister against the ECP.
