Why Sunday is not picked as polling day?

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja on Thursday revealed the reason why Sunday was not picked as the voting day for general elections.

During an informal discussion with media men, a journalist questioned why Sunday was not picked as the voting day for general elections, to which the CEC humorously replied, “Children will get an extra holiday from school.”

Raja said that he didn’t refuse to meet President, it was the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision.

The CEC elaborated that during the meeting, there was a unanimous decision to conduct the elections on the 8th. He pointed out that the country had previously held elections in February, so there was precedence for this timing. He emphasized that the Election Commission's stance on this matter is firm and solid.

He also mentioned that when the KP and Punjab Assembly were dissolved, the Election Commission took a decision to hold simultaneous elections across the entire country. He welcomed the fact that people may have seen images related to this decision.

Regarding the President’s meeting with the Election Commission, he noted that the President cordially welcomed him at the President House and said that the pictures from the meeting must have been seen.

The CEC further explained that the ECP had initially aimed for Sunday as the ideal polling day. He emphasized that when multiple stakeholders come together for discussions, there is room for finding common ground.

Mr Sikandar emphasized that the electoral watchdog holds a firm stance on the simultaneous conduct of elections across the entire country and expressed the Commission’s commitment to ensuring transparent elections, despite various challenges and interferences.

He also acknowledged the importance of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman as the leader of the country’s largest party. While expressing respect for the PTI chairman, the CEC hoped for a more restrained role in the political environment.

In response to the journalist’s question about why the IG Islamabad and Deputy Commissioner Islamabad haven’t been changed despite the ECP’s letter, Raja suggested that the journalist should go and investigate the matter. He also pointed out that the Commission had reorganized the KP cabinet and taken notice of the federal cabinet.

He emphasized that the responsibility of ensuring a level playing field for all political parties would come into play after the schedule is released and acknowledged that the Commission often faces unnecessary criticism.