The Supreme Court (SC) will on Monday (today) hear PTI’s petition against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) order to put off Punjab Assembly elections till Oct 8.
A five-member larger bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail will take up the plea shortly.
Ahead of the hearing, the court issued notices to PTI lawyers.
In a surprise move on March 22, the ECP had put off the elections for more than five months citing the deteriorating security situation in the country and the unavailability of security personnel.
Subsequently, Barrister Syed Ali Zafar moved a petition on behalf of the PTI officials with a request to order the ECP to hold the elections on the date fixed earlier — April 30.
The petition, moved by PTI Secretary General Asad Umar, former Punjab Assembly speaker Mohammad Sibtain Khan, former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani and ex-lawmakers of Punjab Abdul Rehman and Mian Mahmoodur Rashid, pleaded that the ECP’s decision was in violation of the Constitution and tantamount to amending and subverting it.
It sought directions for the federal government to ensure law and order, provisions of funds and security personnel as per the ECP’s need to hold the elections.
It also requested the court to direct the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor to announce the date for elections to the provincial assembly. Last week, KP Governor Ghulam Ali also proposed Oct 8 as the date for holding elections in the province. Earlier, he had announced May 28 as the date for polls.
