ECP says it's always ready for elections

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja said on Wednesday that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is "always ready for elections" and it is the government that has to decide about new polls, Aaj News reported.

Earlier, the CEC had administered oath to two newly appointed members of the ECP - Justice (retd) Ikramullah Khan member from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Babar Hassan Bharwana member from Punjab.

While speaking to reporters, the chief said that the ECP makes decisions according to the law and constitution.

"The election commission makes its decisions fearlessly and it will continue to do so. If anyone is displeased by or disagrees with the decisions, it is their problem," Raja said.

PTI announces anti-ECP protest plan

"It is the ECP's job to hold transparent and fair elections," he added.

His statement comes after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan during his long march last week, had given a six-day deadline to the government to call early elections. Imran warned the government to stage fresh elections or face more mass protests.

"I want to give a message to this imported government to announce elections within six days. Dissolve the assemblies and call an election in June," he said.

Meanwhile in April, the ECP had informed President Dr Arif Alvi that "free and fair elections" cannot be held until October 2022 as the forum needs at least four months for preparations.

It pointed out that the number of National Assembly constituencies had reduced from 272 to 266 after the merger of the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and the reduction of seats in tribal areas from 12 to six.

The ECP said these circumstances demanded fresh delimitation, which was not possible in the absence of official census results.

ECP says 'free and fair' elections not possible until October 2022

Around the same time, the PTI had held countrywide protests outside the offices of ECP against the CEC for being “anti-PTI and biased and announced its decision to file a reference against Raja in the Supreme Judicial Council.

PTI's Fawad Chaudhry had said that the "biggest reason behind the political crisis the country is facing is the election commission being non-functional as an institution".