Pakistan Bar Council Vice-President Haroon ur Rashid said on Tuesday that the Council’s statement had simply raised objections that population to seats ratios were uneven in many places and it did not want the chief election commissioner to resign.

Speaking in Spotlight on Aaj News that the PBC had expressed its reservations earlier as well so that the negligence and discrimination by the Election Commission of Pakistan does not take place.

Rashid said that the reservations raised by the PBC would be heard by the Supreme Court and they would continue to pursue them even after the election.

Regarding reservations on Jhelum’s seats and their alleged connection to the CEC, Rashid said it did not matter that who was not contesting elections but it should be ensured that no one’s rights are taken away.

Abid Zuberi said that when he raised his voice against the CEC’s failure to hold elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he had been accuse dof being a party’s spokesman.

Qadir Mandokhail said that in his opinion the CEC should not leave his post.

He said that he was part of the parliamentary committee that had agreed to abolish district boundaries. He said that delimitations had been changed in 2018, 2022 and then again 2023 and PPP’s reservations over them had been rejected.

However, he questioned if lawyers had forgotten the SC’s judgement on elections and prohibited anything that could delay in elections. He also asked why the statement had been issued by the PBC when the objections they had raised were rejected.

Rashid said that there was no question of personal benefit from the statement as lawyers were not contesting elections. He added that the matter had been raised so it could be fixed throughout the country.

He also denied the impression that Ahsan Bhoon had issued the statement because of his own interest as he had no plans of contesting elections.

He clarified that the PBC did not want elections to be delayed but they should be transparent.

When asked if the CEC’s resignation could derail elections, Rashid denied that the PBC had asked for the resignation. He also conceded that delimitations could no longer take place but the statement could help create pressure for fair elections.

Abid Zuberi said that consultations must have taken place between SCBA and PBC as their statements had been issued at the same time.

He also said that the statements quite clearly asked for the CEC to step aside.

However, Rashid denied that any consultations had taken place between the two bodies and he would openly admit if there had been any.

He added that there was a chance that the ECP could still look into the matter and make sure that elections should be conducted fairly.