"Mai Sharmila Sahiba ki baat se ittefaq karta hoo...," Barrister Saif on election date announcement
"Mai Sharmila Sahiba ki baat se ittefaq karta hoo...," Barrister Saif on election date announcement
Transcript
00:00 People's Party was under a lot of pressure and was under a lot of pressure to postpone
00:07 the elections.
00:08 Faisal Kareem Kundi was saying that the Senate elections should be postponed as well.
00:15 Now the date has come.
00:17 Are you satisfied with this?
00:20 Thank you, Mr. Sati.
00:22 Earlier it was said that the last week of January, but today the 11th of February was proposed in the court.
00:33 Yes, the last week of January was proposed by the Election Commission.
00:38 That we will give a date in the last week of January.
00:41 But today the 11th of February was proposed in the court.
00:45 So on what basis did they give the date earlier and on what basis are they giving it now?
00:50 There is still a proposal.
00:52 There will be a meeting with the President and a final date will be announced by us by tomorrow.
00:58 The problem is that this date was announced as a result of a court hearing.
01:05 What we expected from the Election Commission of Pakistan was that they give us a final date.
01:11 Which we were asking for repeatedly, every day.
01:14 And we were asking for it in a very strict manner.
01:17 There has not been any official announcement of this date yet.
01:21 Nor has there been any announcement on the website of the Election Commission.
01:25 So this is still information as a result of a court hearing that you have received, I have received, my community has received.
01:33 Now let's see what date comes.
01:35 Until the date does not come, a final date, there is no official announcement of it.
01:41 The election schedule is not issued.
01:44 My community and I will not be satisfied.
01:47 Alright. Hashim sir, your thoughts.
01:51 The Pakistan party was obviously trying to get some time.
01:55 Then it is obvious that they have to organize their manifesto, to give it to the public, to promote it.
02:01 You know, to get some traction.
02:03 On this decision, the elections are being said to be final.
02:07 So what are your preparations and your feelings, thoughts, and impressions?
02:13 Yes, Bismillah, Rukmani Rahim.
02:15 Absolutely, we are definitely on the right track.
02:18 Pakistan has never said that you should delay the elections.
02:21 Whether any community is in the government or not,
02:24 the 25 crore people of this country, I think their democracy is not complete
02:30 until these assemblies are not in existence, are not working.
02:34 Whether we are in it or not, it does not matter.
02:37 In this, whatever community there is, these assemblies should definitely be there.
02:40 Democracy should be in this country.
02:42 I have to say a little regretfully that when I was a member of the Punjab Assembly,
02:48 on behalf of Tehreek-e-Insaf, when the elections were delayed,
02:52 all the PDM communities were included in it.
02:56 And their point of view was that the elections should be held together.
02:59 Whereas my position has always been that if today,
03:02 the elections are held on 11th January, 11th February,
03:06 and not a single assembly runs for six months,
03:09 and for any reason, it is terminated, legally and legally,
03:15 then will the next four and a half years, the assembly wait
03:19 for the general elections to come and then it will be our turn?
03:22 So, in the same way, this was wrong.
03:24 The elections of Punjab and KPK should have been held.
03:27 And at that time, all the communities who supported the election commission,
03:32 today they are demanding the same.
03:36 So, if we do not put the law and the constitution in advance at all times,
03:39 then this cannot work.
03:41 Hmm. This is true.
03:45 Mr. Jahangir, this is true because we were all sitting here and talking about this.
03:50 And often the discussion was on the fact that this is the last week,
03:54 that in the last week of January.
03:56 So, the question arose that let's give a date,
03:58 the elections will not take place for the whole week.
04:00 Now, it is 11th February and there is no clarity in it yet.
04:04 Because the president can use his discretion on it.
04:07 So, to talk about giving it in the last week,
04:10 on the part of the election commission,
04:12 then to extend it further and take it two weeks ahead,
04:15 what reason do you see?
04:17 What they have said in the Supreme Court today,
04:19 that the time is complete on 28th January,
04:22 and it takes three to four days to make our lists, etc.
04:26 So, it is Sunday on 4th February,
04:29 so we say that maximum participation should be there.
04:32 So, that is why we propose on 4th or 11th,
04:35 and we want that on 11th, more people can participate.
04:40 But now, look, one thing is clear,
04:42 there should not be ambiguity in it, that the date will come,
04:44 it will come in the morning or it will be finalized tonight,
04:46 on 4th or 11th.
04:47 The date will come, it is about to happen.
04:49 Now, it does not matter if it is one week or two days.
04:51 If it is delayed further,
04:53 one thing is that if it is within nine days,
04:55 then it is not even an hour late for the election.
04:57 When you have exceeded nine days,
04:59 and if you want to go further,
05:02 then you should do it within 54 days.
05:05 So, now, if the President,
05:07 I think the President should also mark the date,
05:10 that it is 4th February or 11th,
05:13 it does not matter if it is one week.
05:15 Now, the authority of the President,
05:17 the Supreme Court,
05:18 look, the Election Commission Code has said that you should go and meet.
05:21 Earlier, they did not agree that it was their authority.
05:24 Now, the Constitutional power of the President has to be recognized.
05:27 If it is the Supreme Court, then the President should,
05:29 I think, and I have told you earlier,
05:31 it is written in the order, a point date.
05:33 It is written in the Constitution that the President will appoint a date.
05:36 So, the date should be given to the President.
05:38 Exactly.
05:39 And obviously, they have also written in the letter that this is our proposal.
05:41 We are proposing this date.
05:43 So, obviously, in this...
05:44 The Election Commission is proposing it.
05:46 The Election Commission,
05:47 like it was taking a stance earlier that the Election Commission has to give the date,
05:50 that stance has ended.
05:51 Now, they have gone to the President for consultation.
05:54 Obviously, look, the President cannot make the arrangement.
05:56 Now, they have to make the RO point,
05:58 the logistics issue arises,
06:00 that the goods have to be delivered,
06:01 the training has to be given to the President and the returning officer.
06:04 All these things are the responsibility of the Election Commission.
06:06 They will do it.
06:07 And then, look, they do not just have to hold the elections.
06:09 According to the Constitution,
06:11 the elections should be fair, transparent, and as per law.
06:14 Now, if the elections happen,
06:15 and if the parties do not trust it,
06:17 then other problems will be created.
06:19 So, the elections are the responsibility of the Election Commission.
06:22 Now, we hope that the Election Commission will fulfill its responsibility.
06:25 And it will make this election 100% transparent.
06:30 And if all the parties trust this election,
06:33 then the country's democracy will be able to move forward.
06:37 Hmm.
06:38 Okay, Mr. Barrister,
06:40 this discussion about the lockdowns and the whole process,
06:45 that it should be done in 24 days and so on,
06:47 can there be any progress in this?
06:49 Or is it fixed that it should not be done in less than 24 days?
06:51 Or is it not possible?
06:52 Or is it not possible?
06:53 Or if it is possible, can these things be adjustable?
06:56 Look, as far as the law is concerned,
07:00 the law gives a time of 54 days after the schedule is announced.
07:04 Because different processes have to be done in this.
07:07 Different initiatives have to be done.
07:08 So, I think that is a fixed date.
07:11 It is a time period.
07:12 If it has to be changed,
07:14 then it will certainly have to be changed in the law.
07:16 At the moment, it is difficult.
07:18 And that is why the people who were demanding
07:20 that the Election Commission announce the date as soon as possible,
07:22 the reason for that was that
07:24 instead of getting caught up in the lockdowns,
07:26 you should announce the date.
07:28 Because if 54 days have passed,
07:30 then in 90 days, the election will be difficult.
07:32 But now the Election Commission has taken a decision
07:37 on the Council of Common Interest,
07:39 and has made it the basis,
07:40 and has extended the time by 2-3 months.
07:42 There can be a separate debate on that.
07:44 I think that case is also pending in the Supreme Court
07:47 by the Supreme Court Bar Association.
07:49 And when the observation will come on that,
07:51 then we will know that the CCI meeting
07:53 and the decisions that were taken in it,
07:55 was it necessary?
07:56 Because the Election Commission has said it itself
07:58 that we are not making any big changes in the lockdowns.
08:01 The lockdowns will remain the same,
08:02 the seats will also remain almost the same.
08:03 So, now I don't understand this.
08:05 But anyway, this is a question.
08:07 Anyway, whatever happened,
08:08 I think that there is still some peace in these circumstances.
08:10 I agree with what Sharbila Sahiba said
08:13 that we should not be too happy yet.
08:15 But there is a hope that the date has come,
08:18 Supreme Court.