Caretaker law ministers for smooth conduct of general elections

ISLAMABAD: The caretaker federal and provincial law ministers on Wednesday underscored the importance of upholding the principles of democracy and ensuring the smooth conduct of elections.

Caretaker Minister for Law and Justice Ahmad Irfan Aslam convened a meeting with provincial caretaker law ministers including Kanwar Dilshad (Punjab), Muhammad Omer Soomro (Sindh), Arshad Hussain Shah (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Amanullah Kanrani (Balochistan).

The meeting was held to discuss matters pertaining to the upcoming general elections to the national and provincial assemblies, said a press release.

During the meeting, all the law ministers underscored the importance of upholding the principles of democracy and ensuring the smooth conduct of elections, the official news agency reported.

It was unanimously agreed that the Constitution must be read as a whole and no provision of the Constitution be read in isolation from other relevant provisions.

As per the Constitution, the conduct of general elections and announcement of election dates is the sole competence of the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The provincial law ministers emphasised that in order to strengthen the federation, ensure harmony amongst all federating units and avoid unnecessary financial burden on the national exchequer incurred owing to the provision of security arrangements on different election dates, the general elections to the national and the four provincial assemblies must be held on the same day.

The Election Commission of Pakistan is an independent constitutional body. It is the responsibility of all organs of the state to respect the autonomy of the Election Commission and its authority in carrying out the delimitation of constituencies and determining the election schedule.

The discussion highlighted the government’s commitment to ensuring free, fair and transparent elections in Pakistan, adhering to the principles of democratic governance, the statement mentioned.

The federal and provincial governments remain dedicated to promoting a democratic and inclusive electoral environment, it added.