Govt does not have constitutional legitimacy to change Senate election dates, says ex-ECP official.

KARACHI -- Former secretary Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Kunwar Dilshad on Friday said that the government does not have the constitutional legitimacy to give an opinion to the Election Commission to change the Senate election dates.

"The country's law specifies that Senate elections are to be held between February 11 and March 11," he said while speaking to media.

Commenting on the federal government's decision to introduce an "open voting" system in the upcoming Senate elections, Kunwar Dilshad said that it is too late for the government to opt for a show of hands procedure in the elections, adding that the process will violate Article 226 of the Constitution.

"This logic of [introducing show of hands in Senate elections]put forward by the Attorney General would open a Pandora's box," the former secretary of the ECP said.

"The Supreme Court could give its opinion on...