Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf urges Election Commission to delay presidential, senate elections
Mar 05, 2024
Islamabad [Pakistan], March 5 : Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to postpone the forthcoming presidential and Senate elections, reported The Nation.
It demanded that until a final decision is reached on the plea of its allied party, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), regarding the allocation of reserved seats in the parliament, both elections should be postponed.
PTI Senator Syed Ali Zafar asserted in the upper house of the parliament that holding both elections without the allocation of all seats reserved for women and minorities in the national and provincial assemblies would violate the constitution.
"The PTI will challenge the decision of the commission in the Supreme Court. The elections for the positions of President and Senate should not proceed until the final verdict is delivered," Senator Zafar stated, warning that his party would not accept the election results without the court's decision, as per The Nation.
He criticized the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for rejecting the PTI-SIC alliance's petition for the allocation of reserved seats according to its proportionate strength of general seats in the assemblies. Senator Zafar demanded the resignation of all ECP members and called for high treason proceedings against them under Article 6 of the constitution.
According to The Nation, regarding international affairs, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution expressing deep concerns over the recent Israeli army's attack in Gaza, condemning the violence against innocent Palestinians seeking food aid.
Furthermore, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi withdrew a resolution proposing a ban on major social media platforms in the country, citing opposition from both members and the public.
The house also condemned a police raid on the residence of presidential candidate and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai in Quetta. Senator Shafiq Tareen highlighted that the raid followed Achakzai's speech in the National Assembly questioning the alleged interference of the powerful establishment in the country's political affairs and elections.
