In the Supreme Court, the hearing on the petition against the extension of the election date of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will be held today (Tuesday) at 11 am.
A 5-member larger bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Atta Bandial will conduct the hearing.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had approached the Supreme Court following the election body’s decision to postpone the polls in Punjab from April 30 to October 8 after the finance and security authorities expressed their inability to support the electoral process. What was expressed?
After the announcement of the ECP, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali also urged the polling organizing body to hold the general elections on the same date (October 8) as requested by terrorist groups operating along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Elections are being held in Punjab in view of increasing security threats. Areas
Hearing the petition on Monday, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the ECP to postpone the election and to ensure peace to the government and PTI for transparent elections.
Chief Justice Bandyal had observed that timely general elections held “honestly, fairly, justly and in accordance with law” are vital to the democratic system of government mandated by our Constitution.
“Any defect, omission or failure in the conduct of general elections is, fundamentally, a matter of public importance affecting the fundamental rights of the voting public,” he said.
The court had questioned the legality of the ECP’s March 22 order postponing the elections, saying that the order obstructed its decision to enforce the fundamental rights of the people of the two provinces.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had ruled in a suo motu case that elections to the Punjab and KP Assemblies should be held within 90 days.
In the light of the partition decision, President Arif Alvi announced the date of elections in Punjab after consulting the ECP.
Apart from serving notices to all the parties in yesterday’s hearing, the Supreme Court also served notices to the Governors of the two provinces through their Chief Secretaries and sought their reply today on the legal points raised by the petitioner.
He also asked the ECP to be ready to assist on legal questions and factual points in today’s hearing.
