ISLAMABAD: Just hours before the presidential elections, PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) candidate Mahmood Khan Achakzai has asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to postpone the vote till the electoral college is completed.
In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja, Achakzai stated that the electoral college “prescribed by law and Constitution” for a presidential election was “still incomplete” because “some reserved seats” in the National Assembly and all provincial assemblies remained vacant.
“…No one has yet been chosen on those reserved seats, and without nominations and proper election on these seats, if the presidential election is performed as per the schedule, it would be a denial of their votes, which is otherwise against the fundamental rights, law, and constitution,” stated the letter, written by Achakzai, who is contesting the election against PPP supremo Asif Ali Zardari.
The presidential candidate further stated that the electoral college cannot be finished unless the seats are filled. He went on to say that presidential elections would be “illegal, unlawful, and against the spirit of the Constitution” until the seats were filled.
He also noted the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) stay ruling on reserved seats, which he believes will result in a “clear verdict” in favour of the PTI-supported party.
“Under the above circumstances, it is submitted that the proposed election to the office of the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is clearly impossible; therefore, the same may kindly be postponed or delayed till completion of the electoral college accordingly in the best interest of justice, fair play, and equity,” Achakzai said.
