On June 15 morning, Pakistanis received a reminder from Google that it would soon be election time.
A Google Doodle with Pakistan’s flag on it reminded the people that the general elections in the country are scheduled to be held in October this year. When tapped, the doodle said: “Pakistan National Election 2023”.
With the current assembly’s term set to end on August 13, 2023, the countdown to the general elections has begun. According to the rules, general elections should be held within 60 days after the completion of the National Assembly’s term. However, if the assembly is dissolved before the expiration date, the period for holding elections can be extended to 90 days.
The decision on the timing and nature of the upcoming elections will be a significant factor in shaping the country’s political landscape.
The last general elections in the country took place in 2018, resulting in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party coming to power with the support of some allies. However, in April 2022, the PTI chief was removed from the position of prime minister through a no-confidence vote led by the joint opposition.
Since then, the Pakistan Democratic Movement-led (PDM) coalition government has been governing the country.
Earlier this year, the PTI chief dissolved the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies, calling for snap elections. However, the ruling coalition believes that elections should be held simultaneously in both the federal and provincial assemblies.
While the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) assures that it is fully prepared to conduct general elections in the country whenever required, there is a sense of uncertainty among political parties regarding the fate of the upcoming polls. The government appears hesitant to make a firm commitment to holding elections this year, leaving the situation in a state of ambiguity.
Despite the absence of a specific budgetary allocation for the upcoming general election in Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s speech, the government remains committed to covering all associated costs in the new fiscal year. Reports indicate that the government has already disbursed Rs5 billion to the Election Commission of Pakistan and has earmarked an additional Rs42 billion for the forthcoming general election. This brings the total allocation to approximately Rs47 billion.
Google Doodle removed?
However, the doodle was removed after a few hours and the development was reported by several social media users. The search engine did not share the reason behind the surprise move, however, some social media users claimed it might have been asked to take it down.