Bar councils cry foul at ECP, demand level playing field
Pakistan’s legal eagles are ruffling feathers. In a rare joint move, the Pakistan Bar Council, Supreme Court Bar, and Sindh High Court Bar have taken aim at the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), raising serious concerns about its ability to conduct transparent and fair elections.
The chorus of discontent stems from the ECP’S handling of constituencies and seat distribution, with accusations of gerrymandering and bias flying thick and fast. The Pakistan Bar Council, in a scathing statement, questioned the fairness of the electoral process and demanded equal opportunities for all political parties. The Bar Council’s statement throws a dark cloud over the ECP’S credibility. It alleges a “growing perception” that the current Commission lacks the mettle to hold clean elections, and its actions are raising troubling doubts about the integrity of the entire process. The Bar Council doesn’t hold back on the judiciary either. It calls upon the Supreme Court to stop blindly validating every ECP move and instead, scrutinize inconsistencies and take swift action. The message is clear: the Supreme Court must uphold its role as guardian of the Constitution and not be seen as rubber-stamping a compromised electoral process. The Supreme Court Bar Association is taking matters a step further, announcing an All-pakistan Representative Convention to discuss the crisis and demand a level playing field for all political parties. The message is loud and clear: Pakistan deserves general elections that are free, fair, and transparent, not a sham orchestrated by a biased election commission. Will the ECP listen? Will the Supreme Court rise to the occasion? Will Pakistan get the elections it deserves? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: the legal fraternity is not backing down, and the pressure is mounting on the ECP to clean up its act.