Elections likely to be delayed over census issue

ISLAMABAD: General elections are likely to be delayed for three to four months as the federal government started mulling to approve and notify new census results, citing sources, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The federal government has started mulling to approve and notify 2023 census results which would delay the organisation of general elections for three to four months.

Sources told ARY News that the federal government is deliberating on approving the new census results in the Council of Common Interests (CCI) session. The next CCI session is expected to be summoned on July 25.

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Sources said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will be bound to complete new delimitations if 2023 census results are notified which would require three to four months.

The notification of the new census data will delay the general polls till January or February, sources said.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) hinted at not accepting general polls on old census data.

Earlier in the day, the ECP secretary said that they will make a decision in accordance with the law if new census results are approved by the federal government.

During an informal conversation with journalists outside the ECP headquarters, Omar Hamid Khan said that the commission is fully ready to hold general elections. “Four months will be required for new delimitations if new census results are approved.”

Additionally, ECP Special Secretary Zafar Iqbal told the media that the commission would hold general elections by October 11 if assemblies are dissolved on August 12.

On the other hand, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah asserted a few days ago that the next general elections, scheduled to be held in 2023, will be based on the last census carried out in 2017.

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Speaking to a private news channel, the interior minister said that the government has decided not to notify the latest census and that the upcoming elections would be held on the basis of the 2017 census data.

Rana Sanaullah noted that Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) – an ally of the government in the Centre – was unsatisfied with the new digital census as well. “They don’t even accept this new census,” he added.

The minister stressed that there should be consensus on census results and “any decision in haste could lead to a controversial situation” in the country.