Islamabad
\nChief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Wednesday took suo motu notice of the delay in holding polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying that there appeared to be a \u201clack of clarity\u201d on the matter.
\nElections are to take place in both provinces after previous PTI governments had dissolved their assemblies before the expiry of their five-year mandated term on the orders of party chairman Imran Khan.
\nIt is pertinent to mention that the suo motu notice comes two days after President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday unilaterally announced April 9 as the date for holding elections in both the provinces after his invitation for consultations on the matter was turned down by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
\nThe CJP has constituted a nine-member bench to hear the case and ordered the matter to be fixed for hearing tomorrow (Thursday) at 2pm.
\nThe bench comprises the CJP, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah.
\nIn the notice, CJP Bandial said that the SC bench would consider the following questions:
\nIn the notice, the CJP said two SC judges, in an order dated February 16, had referred the matter to him for suo motu proceedings.
\nHe noted that separate pleas had also been filed in the apex court regarding the delay in holding polls.
\nHe further noted that the Lahore High Court (LHC) had directed the ECP to immediately announce the date for polls in Punjab. He said that the Punjab governor and the ECP had filed intra-court appeals which were currently pending.
\n\u201cIt seems to be the governor\u2019s case that since he did not act on the advice tendered by the then-chief minister and made no order dissolving the assembly, he does not have the responsibility or authority to appoint the date for the general election. The election commission has, it appears, also taken the position that under the Constitution it has no authority to appoint the date for a general election, though it has categorically stated (as reported in the public media, both print and electronic) that it is fully committed to conducting the said election in accordance with the Constitution.\u201d
\nHe further said that the KP governor had also not fixed a date for holding polls and a petition in this regard was pending before the Peshawar High Court.
\nCJP Bandial went on to say that the president had taken the position that he had the authority and responsibility for fixing a date, and had announced that polls would be held on April 9.
\nThe CJP said that over a month had passed since the two provincial assemblies were dissolved, adding that \u201cit seems prima facie that even the matter of appointing the date of the general elections, which is the first step towards the holding of the elections, has still not been resolved\u201d.
\n\u201cConstitutional authorities appear to hold divergent, and perhaps even conflicting, views on the issue. Thus, several federal ministers appear to have contested the authority asserted by the president. Since ministers act under the constitutional rule of collective responsibility it appears, prima facie, that this is the view taken by the federal cabinet as a whole.
\n\u201cThere is, to put it shortly, a lack of clarity on a matter of high constitutional importance,\u201d CJP Bandial said.
\nHe noted that statements attributed to the electoral watchdog showed that it was not being provided the \u201crequisite assistance and support, in particular by the provision of necessary funds, personnel and security, as would enable it to hold the general elections in accordance with the Constitution\u201d.
\nIn light of the above, the CJP said: \u201cI am of the view that the issues raised require immediate consideration and resolution by this court. Several provisions of the Constitution need to be considered, as also the relevant sections of the Elections Act.
\n\u201cIn particular, the issues involve, prima facie, a consideration of Article 17 of the Constitution and enforcement, inter alia, of the fundamental right of political parties and the citizens who form the electorates in the Punjab and KP provinces to exercise their right to elect representatives of their choice to constitute fresh assemblies and provincial cabinets. This is necessary for [the] government in the two provinces to be carried on in accordance with the Constitution.
\n\u201cThese matters involve the performance of constitutional obligations of great public importance apart from calling for faithful constitutional enforcement,\u201d the CJP said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Islamabad Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Wednesday took suo motu notice of the delay in holding polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying that there appeared to be a \u201clack of clarity\u201d on the matter. Elections are to take place in both provinces after previous PTI governments had dissolved their assemblies […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":253312,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[3628,474,3747],"class_list":{"0":"post-315396","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news","8":"tag-chief-justice-of-pakistan","9":"tag-cjp","10":"tag-umar-ata-bandial"},"yoast_head":"\n