In a recent interview, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar expressed deep concern about Pakistan’s alarming border situation. Despite this, he firmly stated that the security challenges along the country’s international frontiers will not lead to any postponement of the upcoming general elections.
When questioned about the potential scenario, the interim premier conveyed these views in an interview with Voice of America (VOV) Urdu.
The PM’s statement aligns with mounting pressure for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to announce the poll date promptly. The ECP had previously indicated a delay beyond the constitutionally mandated 90 days after the National Assembly’s dissolution on May 9.
President Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly in August, following the advice of former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, shortly before its scheduled term expiration.
Per the constitution, the next election was due within 90 days, ending in early November.
However, in April, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) initiated constituency redraws based on a digital census. Subsequently, increasing uncertainty surrounds the national polls, with a potential delay pushing them to February.
The Prime Minister assured Voice of America’s Urdu service that the security situation along Pakistan’s borders would not cause a delay in the upcoming elections.
“At the moment, I do not see any such possibility,” he told the interviewer. “It is true that there is an alarming situation on the eastern and western borders, which has enhanced the security threat and our response mechanism. However, we are confident we will control the situation and complete the electoral process simultaneously.”
Kakar disagreed when questioned about his administration’s priorities, emphasizing that they addressed various issues rather than solely concentrating on national polls.
“It is not right to say that we are not taking steps to facilitate elections,” he continued. “The caretaker administration has been fulfilling the Election Commission of Pakistan’s requirements and fully providing it assistance daily,” he said.
He emphasized that his interim government’s role did not include announcing elections; their responsibility was to support the ECP financially and in security matters. He also stated that his government would support a Supreme Court decision favouring elections within the 90-day timeframe.
