From Senate to by-Polls, Political Parties Displeased With ECP

Several questions have sprung up on the performance of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) after a recent by-polls in the country as almost all political parties seem aggrieved.

The hotly contested NA-249 Karachi by-poll threw some major surprises for the competing political parties as the results perturbed most of them and marked doubts on the performance of ECP.

The by-poll result declared Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) a winner but Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) feared foul play by PPP and ECP.

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Additionally, delay in the announcement of results also stirred up suspicion, and four political parties including PTI, PML-N, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) claimed to have been victorious if rigging was not done, which is quite unprecedented.

These claims and doubts have made it as clear as day that the competing parties hold no confidence over the performance of ECP.

Not only this, these four parties on Thursday announced a boycott of recounting of votes in NA-249 constituency.

PML-N candidate Miftah Ismail announced while speaking to media in Karachi, “I am not boycotting the recount alone. The MQM, the PSP, and the PTI have all come out”.

On the other hand, the by-election in NA-75, Daska also remained controversial as PTI downplayed the process and accused the victorious PML-N of rigging.

“PML-N believes in rigging and they don’t have nerves to accept their defeat”, a PTI spokesperson said following the results.

Not only this but the issue of senate election also remained a hot potato for the electoral body.

Prime Minister Imran Khan demanded show-off hands in the Senate poll, however, the opposition parties were in support of secret balloting.

Amid varying demands, ECP followed the ruling of the apex court, and the supper house elections were held through secret balloting.