Election commission rejects PM Khan's accusations of partisanship

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday responded to the criticism leveled against it by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in the wake of the recent Senate elections, saying it could not overlook the legal and constitutional requirements of the country while holding elections “to please anyone.”
Prime Minister Imran Khan had blamed the ECP on Thursday for “damaging democracy in the country” by holding Senate elections through secret ballot after one of his party candidates was defeated by an opposition alliance in a crucial contest on a general seat in Islamabad.
The outcome of the election was followed by demands for prime minister’s resignation since the opposition claimed that his administration had lost its majority in the National Assembly of Pakistan.
In an official statement issued on Friday, the ECP said it was an independent institution that always used legal and constitutional benchmarks while performing its duties.
“The election commission listens to everyone,” said the statement, “but fulfills its responsibilities within the legal and constitutional framework. It acts independently and takes decisions without getting under pressure to promote democracy among the people of Pakistan.”
The ECP criticized the government for only accepting favorable election outcomes while pointing out that “every individual and political party should have the ability to accept defeat.”
“Let us do our job,” added the statement, “and do not indulge in mudslinging against state institutions.”
Discussing the ECP’s statement in news conference, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry called the election commission’s “rebuttal” to the prime minister’s speech “inappropriate,” saying “it will be criticized.”
Chaudhry said that the government respected all institutions of the state and was willing to support them, but they should display “freedom and impartiality through their actions, not press releases.”
He reiterated the prime minister’s claim that the ECP could not hold fair and transparent Senate elections due to its refusal to make ballot papers traceable.
Khan had slammed the election commission for refusing to hold the Senate polls through open ballot during a Supreme Court hearing ahead of the elections.
The opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Sharif, however, defended the ECP during a media briefing, saying that the election commission was not presenting its personal stance on the matter in front of the court but explaining its constitutional position.
“The ECP’s position was also upheld by the apex court,” she noted
The PML-N leader condemned Prime Minister Imran Khan for “targeting” the election commission in his address to the nation, claiming that the PTI administration was trying to put it under pressure by making it “politically controversial.”