Pakistan, which is presently experiencing a severe political and economic crisis, has begun preparing for the general elections. A meeting of the electoral body, which was presided over by its president, reviewed the preparations that have been taken so far to conduct elections in a fair and free way later this year.
According to a formal statement, the employees of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), a constitutional agency entrusted with overseeing election administration in the nation, briefed Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja on Monday.
On August 12, the current National Assembly’s five-year term will come to an end. According to Pakistan’s Constitution, a new general election must be held within 60 days.
Raja was made aware of the plans being made for the upcoming general elections and the arrangements already in place, demonstrating the ECP’s efforts to organise the elections fairly and freely.
He was informed that “a list of polling places has been prepared” and that “the necessary election material and paper for ballot paper have been procured.”
The ECP has already initiated an awareness campaign to encourage voters to sign up, and July 13 has been set as the deadline for voter registration, exclusion, and voter list confirmation.
Additionally, there will be elections for the four provincial assemblies. Imran Khan, the leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, attempted to force early elections by dissolving the assemblies of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in January, but his effort was unsuccessful.
The change occurs as Khan struggles to keep his flocks together following the resignation of more than 100 senior party leaders as a result of massive violence that followed his arrest by paramilitary soldiers on May 9. Later, he was freed on bond.
In the violent demonstrations that followed Khan’s arrest, more than 20 military installations and state buildings, including the military headquarters in Rawalpindi, were destroyed or set on fire.
Over 140 cases are pending against Khan. The majority of the cases involve terrorism, inciting public disorder, arson, blasphemy, attempted murder, corruption, and fraud. He was removed from office in April of last year after losing a vote of no confidence, which he said was a result of a US-led plot to assassinate him because of his independent foreign policy towards Russia, China, and Afghanistan. The US has refuted the accusations.
The election planning takes place as Pakistan, which is short for cash, struggles with a large external debt load, a weak local currency, and declining foreign exchange reserves.
In April, the annual rate of inflation increased by a staggering 36.4%, primarily due to increases in food costs. According to the nation’s statistics department, this is higher than 35.4 percent in March and is the highest rate in South Asia.
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