By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top lawyers’ associations on Tuesday demanded the resignation of the country’s chief election commissioner, accusing him of bias and incompetence ahead of a general election due in February.
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and two provincial bar councils said in separate statements that Sikander Sultan Raja had failed to ensure a level playing field and equal opportunities for all political parties and candidates.
They also questioned the transparency and fairness of the electoral process under his supervision and urged the Supreme Court to take notice of the matter.
“Elections are the cornerstone of the democratic process in the country and must be held on time, but mere adherence to election timelines without addressing grievances may undermine stability rather than contribute to it,” the SCBA said.
It further said that polls should be conducted in a free, fair, and transparent manner, while providing equal opportunities to all stakeholders. “However, SCBA believes that to achieve the aforesaid objectives, the present CEC should go home as under him, fair and impartial elections with equal opportunity for all, are not possible.”
In a separate statement, PBC raised similar concerns and highlighted the growing perception that elections could not be conducted freely and fairly under CEC Raja.
“A glaring example is the matter of allocation of two National Assembly seats to the CEC’s own native district Jhelum, with a population of 1,382,000 while district Hafizabad, with a population of around 1,320,000, is allocated only one seat,” PBC said, adding that a similar imbalance was also observed in the allocation of seats for Rawalpindi.
The statement noted that despite its lower population compared to the Gujranwala division, an additional seat had been allocated to Rawalpindi, raising questions about the transparency of the electoral process.
“It is evident that the conduct of the CEC raises serious doubts about the integrity of the general elections, presenting an environment that appears to lack transparency entirely,” the statement said.
The PBC further said that it would soon convene an all-Pakistan representative convention to formulate and announce a line of action in consultation with the SCBA.
“The aim is to ensure the cause of free, fair and transparent general elections which is not possible in the presence of incumbent CEC, as it seems, he has different codes for every political party or individual,” the statement added.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), however, rejected the PBC’s claims that CEC Raja had allocated additional seats in his hometown.
The electoral body clarified that the CEC’s native constituency was NA-82 in Sargodha district and no additional seat had been allocated there.
“The commission has expressed that it cannot allocate additional seats on the personal wishes of any individual,” the ECP said, adding that the watchdog would not be pressurised or blackmailed by anyone.
The general election is scheduled to be held on February 8, 2024, amid a tense political climate and a worsening economic situation in the country.
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