The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has instructed the government to pause any actions, such as signing agreements, related to the privatization of the national airline, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), until it grants formal approval. This direction came just days before the country’s general elections.
The ECP cited Article 230 of the Constitution, which outlines the constraints of a caretaker government, and has requested all cabinet documents pertaining to this matter.
According to sources, the ECP’s letter to the cabinet secretary Kamran Ali Afzal highlighted the need for the caretaker government to refrain from making major policy decisions.
Previously, the ECP had prevented the caretaker government from making structural changes to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) after it had already received clearance from the cabinet and the Special Investment Facilitation Council. On January 30th, the ECP advised the prime minister to defer FBR restructuring until after the election, stating it was a decision for the incoming elected government to make.
Article 230 limits the caretaker government to handling only the necessary day-to-day operations of the government. Therefore, the ECP determined that significant reforms, such as those proposed for the FBR, should be left to an elected government’s discretion.
The cabinet division is now expected to provide the ECP with all relevant documents concerning the privatization of PIA. The ECP’s primary focus is to conduct the upcoming general elections, which may limit its capacity to deal with other governmental matters, much like the situation with the FBR restructuring.
