Islamabad, Dec 19 (PTI) Pakistan’s election chief Sikander Sultan Raja came under pressure on Tuesday when two top lawyers’ bodies demanded his resignation, saying that fair and free elections are not possible with him in the saddle.
Underscoring the need for a level playing field and equal opportunities for all stakeholders in the general election scheduled to be held on February 8, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) in separate statements demanded that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Raja should step down for the sake of fair and free polls.
SCBA president Shahzad Shaukat and secretary Syed Ali Imran expressed deep concern regarding “mounting discrepancies in election procedures, delimitations and seat allocation” during the 26th executive committee of the association, according to a press statement.
They also raised “serious questions about the transparency of elections” under the incumbent CEC, while expressing concerns about the commission’s “competence in terms of rising discrepancies in the electoral process close to upcoming elections which raises valid doubts about jeopardising the fairness and impartiality of the electoral process”.
The statement highlighted that the association “asserts that elections are the cornerstone of the democratic process in the country and must be held on time”.
“Mere adherence to election timelines without addressing grievances may undermine stability rather than contribute to it,” it said, adding the failure to address discrepancies in the electoral process earlier had not only harmed the country but also risked the failure of “achieving meaningful results”.
“Therefore, it is imperative to address these issues effectively to safeguard both the democratic process and national resources,” it pointed out.
It further said that polls should be conducted in a free, fair, and transparent manner, while providing equal opportunities to all stakeholders.
“However, SCBA believes that to achieve the aforesaid objectives, the present CEC should go home as under him, fair and impartial elections with equal opportunity for all, are not possible,” the statement said.
In a separate statement, PBC chairman Hasan Raza Pasha and vice chairman Haroonur Rashid raised similar concerns and highlighted the growing perception that elections could not be conducted freely and fairly under CEC Raja.
“A glaring example is the matter of allocation of two National Assembly seats to the CEC’s own native district Jhelum, with a population of 1,382,000 while district Hafizabad, with a population of around 1,320,000, is allocated only one seat,” they said, adding that a similar imbalance was also observed in the allocation of seats for Rawalpindi.
The statement noted that despite its lower population compared to the Gujranwala division, an additional seat had been allocated to Rawalpindi, raising questions about the transparency of the electoral process.
It is evident that the conduct of the CEC raises serious doubts about the integrity of the general elections, presenting an environment that appears to lack transparency entirely, the PBC said.
“In the light of these circumstances, the PBC cannot turn a blind eye to these critical matters. They stress that the Supreme Court of Pakistan, as the highest constitutional court, must take notice of these discrepancies instead of endorsing every act of the CEC.
“The PBC firmly believes that the primary objective is not merely holding elections but conducting them in a free, fair and transparent manner, providing equal opportunities to all stakeholders,” it said.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) through a statement rejected the PBC’s claims that CEC Raja had allocated additional seats in his hometown. It clarified that the CEC’s native constituency was NA-82 in Sargodha district and no additional seat had been allocated there.
“The commission has expressed that it cannot allocate additional seats on the personal wishes of any individual,” the ECP said, adding that the watchdog would not be pressurised or blackmailed by anyone.
The development comes as Pakistan slowly moves towards the general elections which already were delayed due to the process of delimitation. The Election Commission of Pakistan has issued a schedule for elections and the Supreme Court has mandated it to stick to its plan to hold polls on Feb 8. PTI SH SCY AKJ SCY SCY
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