Chief Election Commissioner Fakhuruddin G Ibrahim’s resignation has vindicated the Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) decision of boycotting the presidential elections, PPP Secretary General Latif Khosa said on Wednesday.
He said the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) announcement regarding the holding of the presidential election on July 30 instead of August 6 did not leave a level playing field for PPP’s Raza Rabbani as it would have been impossible for him to undertake his election campaign within just two days.
Khosa also referred to the Lahore High Court Bar Association that on Tuesday had decided to proceed against those who were responsible for undermining the constitution and the independence of the judiciary.
He said the CEC had reportedly opposed to the changing of the presidential election schedule but the other three members of the commission had sided with the decision as they were obviously under the influence of the PML-N leadership.
“It is because of their resistance that the ECP could not undertake the constitutional obligation which specifically stated that election schedule once announced cannot be altered by any organs of the government come what may,” Khosa argued.
He demanded the other members of the ECP also resign because the commission as a whole had failed to perform its constitutional obligations.
The PPP general secretary did not approve the “interference” of the Supreme Court in the election schedule as “there was neither a question of law nor interpretation of the constitution and therefore the constitutional position of the Election Commission on the subject should have been upheld in accordance with the constitution”.
Khosa said the altering of the election schedule would be a bad precedent that would impede the growth of the democratic institutions in Pakistan.
He said the PPP would discuss the current constitutional crisis in the near future and apprise the people of Pakistan about its unequivocal stance which would be formulated within the parameters of democracy and in the larger interest of the people and the country.
He reiterated that the PPP was committed to democracy and the empowerment of the masses for which it would take a firm stand.
Khosa also suggested that the judiciary might exercise restraint in issuing legal notices to lawmakers and the heads of political parties for the sake of smooth functioning of democracy in the country.
All the critics of decision of the Supreme Court are on better footing and justified.
Contempt of Court!… But the factual position is fully evident to this unlucky and desperate nation.
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