PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) is scheduled to address Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) plea for conducting upcoming general elections under the supervision of the judiciary, as the party expresses concerns about the fairness of the polls.
Advocate Muazzam Butt, representing PTI, submitted a revised petition to the high court in response to the court’s directive to challenge the Election Commission of Pakistan’s notification on the appointment of returning officers (ROs) and district returning officers (DROs).
PHC Chief Justice Mohammad Ibrahim Khan and Justice Shakeel Ahmed, a two-member bench, presided over the hearing on Friday. During the session, provincial Advocate General Amir Javed argued that the initial petition did not contest the electoral watchdog’s notification, as it was not yet issued when the petition was filed. CJ Khan instructed the PTI lawyer to submit the amended plea.
Chief Justice Khan questioned the possibility of holding free and fair elections amid the current situation, highlighting over 700 Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) 3 directives issued in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He urged the submission of a supplementary petition, emphasizing that no delays in the election process would be allowed.
The Lahore High Court’s suspension of the ECP’s notification for appointing ROs and DROs was also discussed during the hearing. This suspension halted the training of election officers. Following the submission of the amended plea, the bench scheduled the matter for a hearing on Monday (December 18) at 2 pm.
It’s worth noting that PTI filed a similar petition in the Lahore High Court, challenging the appointment of ROs and DROs from the bureaucracy. The LHC’s order temporarily halted the election process, but the Supreme Court later ruled that there should be no obstruction in conducting the polls.
The Supreme Court clarified that the LHC had exceeded its jurisdiction, allowing the Election Commission to issue the polling schedule and ending concerns of potential delays in the elections.
