Same-day elections likely in August?

PTI team hands over eight-point recommendation draft to PDM team,

Islamabad_The negotiating teams of the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have kicked off parleys aimed at ending a deadlock over general elections timing.

The statements from both sides suggested that the two warring parties apparently refused to show flexibility on their stance on the polls.

A three-member delegation of the PTI led by Shah Mehmood Qureshi and comprising Fawad Chaudhary and Senator Ali Zafar has arrived at the Parliament House in Islamabad to hold talks with the government’s team.

The government team comprises former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Law Minister Senator Azam Nazir Tarar, Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique, Minister for Commerce Naveed Qamar, Minister for National Food Security and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan Kishwar Zahra.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has agreed to delaying polls till August during the third round of dialogue with the government team over election date in Punjab.

This was revealed by sources as PTI and government negotiation teams met for the third time to cut the election Gordion knot.

Notably, the Supreme Court (SC) had ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold the elections in Punjab on May 14. However, the government refused to disburse funds.

As the negotiating teams of the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and the opposition PTI prepare to engage in talks to resolve a stalemate over the timing of the general elections, both sides appeared to have remained unwavering in their positions.

However, the matter seems to be moving towards a compromise.

A three-member delegation from PTI, led by Shah Mahmood Qureshi and comprising Fawad Chaudhary and Senator Ali Zafar, arrived at the Parliament House in Islamabad to engage in discussions with the government’s team.

The government’s team includes former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Law Minister Senator Azam Nazir Tarar, Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique, Minister for Commerce Naveed Qamar, Minister for National Food Security and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) representative Kishwar Zahra.

The PTI team handed over an eight-point recommendation draft to the PDM team. It will also send this draft to the Supreme Court through its lawyers.

The sources have revealed that the opposition party has agreed to organization of polls in the second or third week of August, after the budget.

Flexing flexibility
During a press conference held after the negotiation round, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that both the government and opposition parties have demonstrated flexibility in their stances.

He further added that both negotiation teams will be reporting back to their respective party leaderships.

However, Dar stated that a mutually agreeable date for holding same-day elections throughout the country has not been reached.

The minister reiterated that the elections should be held on the same day across the country under the caretaker setup.

Meanwhile, Senator Yousuf Raza Gilani, the opposition team’s leader, described the progress made during the negotiations as satisfactory.

He also mentioned that both parties have agreed to accept the election results to avoid any post-electoral chaos.

The government team did not announce a specific date for the next round of talks.

PTI retreats
In a separate media talk, PTI leader Qureshi – flanked by his team members – said that they are ready to give more time to the government for the sake of ‘positive progress’.

Reiterating the demands of PTI, he reiterated that his party wanted polls on May 14 in Punjab and subsequently in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

He said that PTI had demanded the dissolution of Sindh and Balochistan assemblies before May 14.

Qureshi added that the polls should be held within two months after the dissolution of provincial assemblies however it would exceed the stipulated time of 90 days mentioned in the Constitution for holding elections after dissolution of an assembly.

For this purpose, he said PTI was ready to return to National Assembly (NA) for an amendment that will allow a one-time delay of election beyond 90 days.

PTI leader confirmed that PDM and their team have not yet agreed on dates for the dissolution of assemblies and polling day.

Senate chairman optimistic
Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani hosted a dinner in honor of the negotiation teams before the start of their talks.

During the event, the Senate chairman emphasized the need for political unity and urged all political parties to prioritize the national interest over their differences.

He expressed his belief that resolving political tensions through dialogue will lead to an end to economic stagnation in the country.