By: Maleeha Irfan
ISLAMABAD: The 18th Youth Parliament Pakistan convened its third virtual session on April 27, 2024. Youth from across Pakistan converged online to participate in this session, which featured discussions, Youth Standing Committee elections and insights into the future of governance.
104 primary members and 54 alternate members participated in this session. They represented all National Assembly constituencies of Pakistan, including Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Overseas Pakistanis. Ms. Amna Kausar, Acting Speaker of the session & Senior Projects Manager at PILDAT/YPP, opened the session with a warm welcome, acknowledging the participants.
The session proceeded with a presentation by Ms. Alena Sadiq, Projects Officer at PILDAT, on the Assessment of the Quality of General Election 2024. The key points of the presentation highlighted the evolution of Pakistan’s electoral process since 2002, with a focus on the three phases of elections: pre-poll, polling day and post-poll. The methodology and process of the PILDAT survey were explained, which assessed the fairness and key issues during each phase.
The presentation also addressed speculations surrounding the Election Management System (EMS) and the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) justifications regarding its use. A comparative assessment of the quality of elections was also presented, culminating in recommendations for the ECP and Parliament to improve the electoral process further. Following the presentation, the floor opened up for an interactive Q&A session that encouraged active participation and the exchange of diverse viewpoints. Some important points raised by the MYPs included the impartiality of the Election Commission of Pakistan, the need for a transparent judicial commission, and the ECP’s reliance on technology as an excuse.
Additionally, MYPs wondered whether youth would participate in the next general elections given the current circumstances. Furthermore, they emphasized the subjects of the Charter of Democracy and the manipulation of forms 45 and 47; one highlighted the need to include election budget spending analysis in the report. Following this, the elections for the remaining YPP Standing Committees took place, wherein MYPs effectively established 14 standing committees and elected 56 office-bearers.
