Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said the upcoming elections in Pakistan would be held on the basis of the 2023 digital census which was expected to be taken up by the Council of Common Interest (CCI) before expiry of the current government’s tenure.
In an interview with Asma Shirazi on Aaj News show ‘Faisla Aap Ka,’ the premier stated that once the census results were finalized, they would be referred to the Council of Common Interest (CCI).
“There are clear chances that the CCI meeting will be held (before the expiry of the government’s tenure). We have to go into the election as per the new census. We will take its results to CCI as soon as they are finalized since this is a legal requirement and subject of CCI,” he said while responding to a query about the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P) reservations on census.
He said the election should be held on the basis of new census unless there was an “obstacle” that could not be overcome. However, the premier did not see any such obstacle in this regard.
To another query, it was prerogative of the Election Commission of Pakistan to decide whether it would hold election on the basis of new census.
The decision to use the 2023 census results has been met with objections from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), a ruling ally, which believes that Karachi’s population has been undercounted in the new census.
In an effort to address concerns raised by the MQM-P, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with the party’s leaders in Karachi last week. During the meeting, he assured them that any decisions regarding the census matter would be made after consulting all coalition partners.
Regarding the dissolution of assemblies, PM Shehbaz stated that the assemblies would be dissolved before August 12. The five-year term of the National Assembly began on August 12, 2018, under the then-PTI government and is set to be completed under the current PM-Shehbaz-led ruling coalition on the same date this year.
Article 224 of the Constitution mandates that a general election to the National Assembly or a provincial assembly should be held within 60 days after the term of the assembly is due to expire unless the assembly is dissolved earlier. In case of early dissolution, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is required to hold general elections within 90 days after the dissolution.
However, with the dissolution deadline approaching, the Prime Minister and the opposition leader are yet to commence consultations on the selection of caretaker government officials. PM Shehbaz stated during the interview that the process would begin after completing consultations with the allies on this matter.
Addressing the issue of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is currently in self-imposed exile in London for medical reasons, PM Shehbaz Sharif expressed confidence in his return to Pakistan. He asserted that Nawaz Sharif’s medical check-up would be completed, and he would return once he was advised by the doctors.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed his hopes for his party’s victory in the upcoming elections, stating that if his party were to win, Nawaz Sharif would assume the role of the country’s chief executive for the fourth time.
