PDM decides to move SC against ‘early’ Senate polls

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Thursday warned the government that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will approach the Supreme Court if Senate elections are held before its scheduled time. Addressing a hurriedly called press conference at Jati Umra, Maryam said that holding elections is the job of the Election Commission of Pakistan and the government has nothing to do with it. She said the government is trying to ‘use’ the apex court as well for its ‘nefarious designs’, adding that the opposition will not allow the rulers to tarnish the constitution of Pakistan. “Chief election commissioner is heading a constitutional institution and a fake prime minister cannot challenge his authority,” Maryam said, and urged the ECP not to obey any ‘unconstitutional’ directives of the government. “The whole nation is already closely watching the Election Commission of Pakistan where the foreign funding case of PTI is pending since long as the government is pressurizing the ECP to further delay it,” she said. “ECP cannot be used for any single party,” she went on to say. “What is the emergency behind announcing elections one month early if the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) makes no difference to them. This is something that has not happened before in the country’s history,” she added. Maryam Nawaz said the PDM has jolted this government. She also accused the prime minister of ‘destroying’ national institutions by dragging them into politics. She said that the schedule for all the elections is announced by the ECP. “All such decisions are made by the ECP … no prime minister can do this. In what capacity did he announce the decision to hold Senate elections one month earlier,” she questioned. “Did you not consult the constitution of Pakistan? Did no one from your army of advisers tell you that this is the job of the ECP? Or have you taken it upon yourself to ruin the state of the constitution and national institutions,” she questioned, apparently referring to the prime minister. Talking about the government’s proposal of conducting Senate elections through show of hands, Maryam said that why the same mode of show of hands was not introduced when incumbent Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani was contesting. She believed that Prime Minister Imran Khan doesn’t have trust on his parliamentarians and therefore he is going for show of hands. She further said that she is not against the show of hands method but claimed that the government’s motives behind doing so are not transparent. Maryam said the government had taken full advantage of secret ballot in the past but is now against it when it can see itself on its way out. “There needs to be a constitutional amendment. This can’t be bulldozed through an ordinance. It is the job of the parliament, the apex court can only interpret but it can’t make a new law,” she maintained. Maryam said PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif himself has directed the lawmakers to resign. “The by-elections on 500 seats are not possible after the resignations of PDM lawmakers and we’ll not sit silent even after resignations,” she said, while hinting at prolonging the protest movement against the government. Meanwhile, while discussing the government’s decision to hold polls for the 51 seats of the Senate a month before the schedule, Parliamentary Leader of PPP in Senate Senator Sherry Rehman said, “It is quite clear that this is being done to disrupt the PDM, and to make up for disgruntled MPs whose votes PTI is not sure of, but what the federal government does not realise is that this is an illegal and unconstitutional act.” “The term of the current senators will end on March 11, 2020 so, holding elections before that is wrong on many counts and can potentially mire the country in a constitutional crisis,” she added. “How can the Senate polls be held before the senators’ term expires? Who is the government to change the dates when the authority lies with the ECP to formulate the schedule of the Senate’s elections? Under Article 213 of the constitution, only the ECP has the right to announce a date for elections. What is the government’s urgency that a forty-year-old schedule is being changed?” she asked. “It is obvious that they are extremely rattled by the opposition and by the prospect of losing their own disgruntled members. The issue of transparency was addressed in an early report, but the government totally ignored it, so that cannot be the issue.”