Pakistan Senate passes motion to delay Feb. 8 elections

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Pakistan's upper house of parliament on Friday passed a resolution seeking delay in polls due on Feb. 8, citing harsh weather and security concerns.

The resolution was moved by an independent senator, Dilawar Khan, during a session with only 14 lawmakers in attendance. The Senate has a total of 100 members.

Mentioning cold weather in some parts of Pakistan, which could create difficulties in ensuring participation of residents during the electioneering process, as well as serious threats to prominent politicians, and attacks on security forces and citizens, the non-binding resolution said the "elections may be postponed to facilitate the effective participation of people from all areas of Pakistan and belonging to all shades."

Polls were due to be held in November 2023, 90 days after the dissolution of the lower house of parliament in August, but were delayed due to demarcation of constituencies under a new census.

The South Asian country has been in political and economic turmoil, particularly since the ouster of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in April 2022, who now faces a slew of charges he denies.

In an opinion piece for The Economist, Khan warned that “Pakistan’s election could be a farce” and that his party was not being given a level-playing field. His nomination papers for the elections were rejected on account of his conviction in a corruption case.

Meanwhile, the security situation in the country has also deteriorated, with 2023 witnessing more than 600 attacks by armed groups, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based think tank.​​​​​​​