ISLAMABAD – The upper house of Pakistan’s Parliament has given approval to a non-binding resolution advocating for the postponement of the general elections scheduled for February 8.
Only 14 out of the 97 senators present in the upper chamber supported the proposal, while one senator opposed it. The motion to reschedule the election date was put forth by Dilawar Khan, an independent lawmaker, who cited the “prevailing security conditions” and harsh weather as reasons for the delay.
Read more : US State Dept Desires Fair, Free Elections In Pakistan
In his resolution, Khan pointed to an increase in security incidents, particularly in the regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. He mentioned that Pakistan’s interior ministry had reported “serious threats to the lives of prominent politicians.” Additionally, he highlighted the challenges posed by the harsh winter conditions, making it more difficult for political parties to conduct their campaigns and potentially affecting voter turnout.
The resolution stated, “To enable the effective participation of people from all regions of Pakistan and belonging to all political shades in the electioneering process, the elections scheduled for February 8, 2024, may be postponed.”
Throughout Pakistan’s 75-year history, there have been 11 general elections, with three of them (1985, 1997, and 2008) taking place in February.
It’s noteworthy that after the dissolution of the lower house of parliament in August of the previous year, national elections in Pakistan were originally scheduled for November. The proposal for postponement comes against the backdrop of concerns related to security and weather conditions, with the resolution framing the delay as a measure to ensure the effective participation of people across the country in the electoral process.
