No harm if polls delayed by ‘8 to 10 days’: Zardari

Former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari has said that it would make no difference if the general elections are delayed by eight to ten days, saying that factors such as adverse weather conditions or security situation in erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) may impact the schedule of the polls. In an interview with a private news channel, Zardari emphasised that the elections were inevitable with or without a delay. When asked if the date of the elections had already been announced and does he still thought that the polls could be delayed further than the scheduled date of February 8, the former president said that the decision lies solely with the Election Commission of Pakistan, emphasising that neither he nor anyone else had any control over the matter. He said that the electoral watchdog is mandated as per the Constitution to make any further announcement in this regard. "If the elections are delayed by eight to ten days, it doesn't make any difference," he stated. Read More: Zardari shuns complaints of level-playing field Zardari expressed belief that the elections would take place, irrespective of whether they are held on February 8 or any other date. Highlighting potential contributing factors that may delay the polls, Zardari pointed out that weather conditions and existing conflicts, particularly in the erstwhile FATA region, could play a role in the decision-making process. Read More: Zardari scoffs at alliances marshalled against PPP It is noteworthy that the ECP has finalised constituencies, and after consultations with President Arif Alvi and oversight by the Supreme Court, the election date of February 8 had been officially announced. The suggestion comes after Governor K-P Ghulam Ali's recent remarks, highlighting the difficulties in conducting political activities in certain parts of K-P and Balochistan due to the prevailing security situation. A day earlier, another PPP leader, Abdul Qadir Baloch, had also raised similar concerns about the elections. Baloch had proposed the postponement of elections in areas under security threats. He suggested conducting by-polls in these constituencies at a later stage. During an interview on a private news channel, PPP's Baloch argued for a strategic delay in elections within sensitive areas instead of a complete postponement of the polls. "In a nation with 236 seats, it is not appropriate to postpone elections for seven to eight seats and risk derailing the democratic process," he said. He asserted that similar to K-P, Balochistan was also facing threats from the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “Attacks by the TTP in Balochistan are way higher than those by Baloch separatists,” the PPP leader said, adding that Kalat, Mastung and neighbouring areas were often targeted by the outlawed organisation. Similarly, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also recently expressed doubts regarding the feasibility of holding elections amidst what he termed a "deteriorating" security climate.