ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan reels from political instability that stems largely from a deadlock between the government and the opposition, ex-premier Imran Khan said on Sunday that elections across the country can be held on the same day in July, provided Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif dissolves the National Assembly in May.
Khan’s statement comes amid heightened tensions between the government and the former prime minister’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party over the date for the upcoming elections in Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province. While Khan insists the government must abide by a ruling issued by Pakistan’s top court directing the government to ensure polls in Punjab are held on May 14, the Sharif-led government says it is not economically viable to hold provincial and national elections on different dates.
The controversy was triggered when the PTI and its ally dissolved its provincial governments in Punjab and the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces in January. The move was Khan’s attempt to pressurize the government to hold early elections, as Pakistan has historically held voting for both the National Assembly and provincial assembly seats on the same day. According to Pakistan’s constitution, elections must be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the assemblies before their term expires.
Pakistan’s top court, which is hearing a case related to the delay in elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has directed all parties to hold talks and resolve the ongoing political deadlock. Khan’s PTI and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have showed willingness to hold talks to resolve the crisis.
In an interview with ARY News, a private TV channel in Pakistan, Khan said his party would only accept a “Supreme Court-backed” proposal by the government for joint elections across Pakistan on the same day.
“The easiest way to hold elections is to resign from the National Assembly, the prime minister dissolves the assembly,” Khan said. “Joint elections can be held immediately after that. Yes, they can be held in July.”
Khan, however, warned that if the government fails to provide a deadline and keeps the date for upcoming elections “open ended” then it would be a trap to delay polls beyond October as well. The PTI chairman said his party would hold talks with the government on the condition that it forms “genuine” caretaker governments to oversee elections.
“The term for these caretaker governments has expired,” Khan said. “They are now unconstitutional, after 90 days, they have no status. They should be ended and genuine, new caretaker governments should be brought in,” he said, adding that by genuine, he meant governments that are “neutral.”
Before the Supreme Court resumes its hearing of a case related to delayed elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces next week, leaders of Pakistan’s ruling coalition government will hold a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing political crisis in the country. The meeting will be chaired by the prime minister, a leader of the right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami party confirmed last week.
Pakistan’s political turmoil has deepened at a time when the country is facing a severe economic crisis, with its reserves depleting to less than $5 billion, barely enough to cover a few weeks of import payments. As its currency undergoes massive devaluation, Pakistan is struggling to grapple with historic inflation spurred on by rising fuel and energy costs.