Despite being given the benefit of doubt – countless times – the provincial government in Punjab and Sindh are hell-bent on proving that theirs is truly a power-hungry, corrupt and dictatorial democracy. The Supreme Court of Pakistan took a sou moto notice of the lack of local government elections in 2012; three years later the government is still employing delaying tactics to cling to power, for a process that the constitution stipulates should be completed three months after the general elections.
Over the months its actions are becoming shameless, it using every trick in the book to delay elections. After the apex court wrestled the delimitations of constituencies out of the hands of the provinces and handed them to the ECP, a process, which was dragged to the deadline days multiple times and buried under bureaucratic red tape, the problem is still not over. The ECP recently reported that Punjab and Sindh have failed to hand over requisite data, such as authenticated maps and number of councils/wards, required for delimitation and is asking for more time to deliver it. The excuse given by the Punjab local government secretary is laughable, and goes to show the depths the PPP and PML-N are willing to sink to: the data could not be handed over due to the month of Muharram. Does the government stop working in Muharram? Is every relevant person a devout Shia? Was the department dealing with electoral data posted at checkposts and religious congregations along with the police? These are shameless, despicable tactics. That is not all; the much delayed legislation regarding the polls is full of lacunas, inconsistencies and completely missing sections; all of which now needs to be altered. The Punjab Local Government Act 2013, goes as far as authorising chief executive (Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif) to take key decisions in case of disputes. The K-P government has its own wonderfully unique issues, it is adamant on including clauses determining that candidates are “pious” and “devoid of major sins”, despite being aware of the comical fiasco which resulted from similar provisions in the general elections.
Lengthy parliamentary functions, inept lawmakers, procedural confusion; there are only so many excuses that can be made for the provincial government. They have all run out.