2018 elections very much in sight

Tuesday was the day when two developments on the national scene added an element of certainty to the completion of the first-ever uninterrupted decade of civilian rule and another democratic transition in the history of the country. Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa assured Parliament that the armed forces desired no supra-constitutional role for themselves, and the passage of the much-awaited constitutional delimitation bill by the Senate have removed all speculations about the holding of general elections according to the schedule.
According to the reallocation of seats under the bill, seats will increase for Balochistan (two general seats, one women's seat), KP (4+1) and the federal capital (1+0), while seats for Punjab will decrease (-7 and -2). The seats for Sindh will remain the same. The passage of the bill shows that allocation of National Assembly seats will be made on the basis of the provisional results of this year's census without changing the existing number of general seats (272) and women's seats (60), and retaining the share of Fata (12). However, the bill did not sail through the Senate without a challenge, with 84 senators voting in favour and Kamil Ali Agha of PML-Q voting against it. It is interesting that Mushahid Husain Syed, the other senator of the PML-Q, claimed that he had voted in favour although he was not even present in the house at the time of voting. Moreover, Saleh Shah happened to be the only Fata senator who voted in favour while the rest of the seven representing the tribal areas stayed away from the process. The passage of the bill, nonetheless, has demonstrated a greater sense of responsibility by the political parties towards the future of democratic dispensation in the country. Leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq's response to the passage of the bill by the Senate was very pertinent as he stated that the passage was essential for democracy and staving off threats to the country. He concerned that the passage was not possible without the cooperation of the opposition, assuring the house that the recommendations by the Pakistan People's Party's parliamentary leader Taj Haider on the modus operandi of a third-party audit of provisional results in five percent census blocks would be fully implemented.
There could be no two opinions about the fact that it was PPP that had principally contributed to the deadlock through its strategy, right or wrong, in relation to the passage of the bill. The political parties had been squabbling over the bill for quite some time, but when Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi intervened by convening a government-opposition meeting to reach an agreement, they decided to bury the hatchet. Their consensus, therefore, has highlighted the fact that the essence of democracy lies in striking a balance and finding a secure common ground for the interests of both majority and minority. It is heartening that political parties that had been feuding over the bill have finally decided to meet the key constitutional requirement: that seats in the National Assembly shall be allocated to each province, Fata and the federal capital on the basis of population in accordance with the last census officially published. The passage of the bill has also shown that political parties in the country are more organized and purposeful now than ever before.