ISLAMABAD: As the Supreme Court’s written order on police officer Ghulam Mehmood Dogar is yet to be issued, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is also considering the option of putting its foot down to ensure the constitutional mandate.
An ECP said that if the power of the ECP was undermined by suspending its decisions, the commission should consider postponing the by-elections in Lahore and then the provincial assembly elections in the presence of Dogar there. may whose biased behavior is already evident. The official said while talking to JEE News.
Under the Constitution, the Election Commission is completely independent in such matters, fulfilling its duty to ensure free elections. This right is guaranteed in Article 218 (3), which reads: “It shall be the duty of the Election Commission to hold and conduct elections and to make such arrangements as may be necessary to ensure That the elections should be conducted with honesty and justice. Fair and lawful, and safeguarded against corrupt practices.” Bureaucratic transfers and appointments are in accordance with the powers vested in the ECP.
To take a final decision in this regard, an ECP official said that a meeting has been called on Tuesday, which will be chaired by Chief Election Commission Sikandar Sultan Raja. All four members of the commission will attend.
The commission had agreed on the transfer of CCPO Lahore Dogar based on his past conduct during the regime of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as he was working at the whim and caprice of Imran Khan. A recent audio leak in which Dr. Yasmin Rashid was heard expressing concern over the delay in her induction after the Supreme Court order further corroborated the allegation.
The SC’s objections to his removal were largely about the verbal nature that the caretaker administration of Punjab had taken from the CEC. The ECP was of the view that consent was given after the decision was approved by all the members.
It was further clarified that hundreds of exchanges take place after the interim set-up is in place and oral orders follow written instructions to formalize the process and this is the norm in administrative matters. The Supreme Court’s order came a day after an alleged audio leak in which Parvez Elahi was heard discussing Dogar’s case with reference to the bench, which will decide on it.
While the Election Commission will decide the fate of the elections in Lahore on Tuesday, it has also called a meeting today (Monday) to decide whether CEC Raja should meet President Dr Arif Alvi. no. It seems that President Alvi wants to describe the meeting as a consultative process that will take place after the announcement of the election date for provincial assemblies, which he is not authorized to do. It is the discretion of the governors of the respective provinces, a point the ECP has already made in response to President Alvi’s letter.
The ECP faces a peculiar dilemma. While the governors are not ready to announce the date of the provincial elections, the Lahore High Court had directed the ECP to announce the date in consultation with them, pointing out that the constitution empowers him to do so. Not given, it is completely ignored. The ECP had requested the Lahore High Court and later the Supreme Court to issue a clear ruling empowering the commission to announce the date if the judicial branch felt the ECP could do so. However, the courts are reluctant to give any such direction.
