ISLAMABAD: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, urging contempt proceedings against senators who participated in passing a resolution within the Senate advocating a further delay in the general elections.
According to constitutional provisions, elections have to take place within 90 days after the dissolution of an assembly. However, the polls for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab assemblies, dissolved in January last year, have been postponed for nearly a year.
Similarly, the national, Balochistan, and Sindh assemblies have also surpassed their constitutional time limits.
Concerns regarding potential delays prompted the filing of a petition in the apex court, leading to directions for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and President Arif Alvi to announce a date, which was subsequently set as February 8.
Despite the court’s decree that no objections could be raised on delimitations after the announcement of the election schedule, the Senate, on Friday, approved a non-binding resolution advocating a postponement of the general elections.
Senator Dilawar Khan, an independent legislator, initiated the resolution in the upper house, gaining approval with only 14 senators present out of a total of 100. In response, Advocate Ishtiaq Ahmed Mirza has lodged a petition against Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani, Senator Dilawar, and other lawmakers, including those from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
The plea implores the court to ensure adherence to the scheduled February 8 elections, highlighting the necessary time required for statutory procedures preceding the polls.
Additionally, Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan has proposed a resolution in the Senate, advocating the adherence to the original schedule for the polls, expected to be subject to a vote in the upcoming session.
