Despite orders from Islamabad High Court (IHC), staffers of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) remained “missing” from polling stations across the capital as residents came out of their houses to vote for their representatives, the PTI claimed on Saturday.
A day earlier, after a whirlwind of court proceedings, the IHC had instructed the ECP to hold Islamabad local government elections today (Dec 31).
The verdict, which was pronounced by IHC Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir on petitions filed by PTI and Jamaat-i-Islami, quashed the electoral body’s notification regarding the postponement of the polls.
In response to the development, an ECP official had told Dawn that it was “practically impossible” to hold an electoral exercise, even within Islamabad alone, on such short notice. Separately, the federal government had decided to file an intra-court appeal against the verdict.
On Saturday morning, Dawn.com learnt that the government and ECP have filed intra-court petitions against the verdict but their pleas have not yet been fixed for hearing.
Meanwhile, the PTI complained that voters had gathered outside polling stations in the city but the election staff was missing.
Party Chairman Imran Khan, in a tweet, said that by not implementing the IHC orders, the ECP had proven that it was a “B team of the imported government and its backers”.
“PDM, fearful of the people, is running away from all elections. The right to vote is a fundamental democratic norm and PTI stands committed to it,” he said.
Separately, in a video message earlier today, PTI General Secretary Asad Umar said his party’s teams were present outside polling stations since morning but no one from the electoral body showed up.
“This imported government is scared of people […] they run away whenever elections are held […] they make excuses,” he claimed, demanding why the ECP’s preparations were not complete.
“We want the court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the election commission and throw them out,” Umar added.
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry also urged the IHC to take action against the ECP.
“This government, along with its puppet election commission, is making a joke of the nation and the Constitution,” he tweeted.
On the other hand, former human rights minister Shireen Mazari said the ECP should immediately resign after “playing politics with holding elections”.
