Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Calls For Delay In Presidential, Senate Elections To Election Commission

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) called on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to delay the upcoming presidential and Senate elections, as reported by The Nation. The party insisted on postponing the elections until a final decision is reached on the plea from its allied party, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), regarding the allocation of reserved seats in parliament.

In the upper house of the parliament, PTI Senator Syed Ali Zafar argued that conducting both elections without the allocation of all seats reserved for women and minorities in the national and provincial assemblies would violate the constitution. Senator Zafar stated that the PTI would challenge the ECP’s decision in the Supreme Court and emphasized that the elections for the positions of President and Senate should not proceed until the court delivers a final verdict. He warned that his party would not accept the election results without the court’s decision, according to The Nation.

Senator Zafar criticized the Election Commission for rejecting the PTI-SIC alliance’s petition for the allocation of reserved seats based on its proportionate strength of general seats in the assemblies. He further called for the resignation of all ECP members and urged high treason proceedings against them under Article 6 of the constitution.

In international affairs, The Nation reported that the Senate unanimously passed a resolution expressing deep concerns over the recent Israeli army’s attack in Gaza. The resolution condemned the violence against innocent Palestinians seeking food aid.

Additionally, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi withdrew a resolution proposing a ban on major social media platforms in the country due to opposition from both members and the public. The house also condemned a police raid on the residence of presidential candidate and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai in Quetta. Senator Shafiq Tareen highlighted that the raid followed Achakzai’s speech in the National Assembly questioning the alleged interference of the powerful establishment in the country’s political affairs and elections.