Lahore: Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan of the Lahore High Court, on Wednesday, appointed six additional election tribunals for Punjab following an LHC judgment that the Election Commission of Pakistan deemed ‘meaningless’ after the enactment of an ordinance granting it authority to appoint retired judges to head ETs.
According to a notification issued by LHC registrar Chaudhry Abdul Rashid Abid, the Honorable Chief Justice, considering a judgment in writ petition No.25985/24, has established the following tribunals for the General Election-2024, with assigned areas of operation.
Apart from the six new ETs, two judges from the existing ETs in Lahore and Multan have been reassigned constituencies of adjacent districts and tehsils.
The election tribunal members and their assigned jurisdictions at the principal seat are as follows: Justice Anwaar Hussain for Lahore; Justice Shahid Karim for Gujranwala, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, and Narowal; and Justice Chaudhry Mohammad Iqbal for Faisalabad, Chiniot, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Pakpattan, Okara, Sargodha, and Khushab.
Justice Mirza Viqas Rauf has been appointed to head the Rawalpindi ET to address poll disputes concerning constituencies of Jhelum, Chakwal, Attock, Mianwali, Sarai Alamgir tehsil, and Rawalpindi.
At the LHC Bahawalpur bench, Justice Asim Hafeez has been designated to head the election tribunal covering constituencies of Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan, and Lodhran. Justice Raheel Kamran Sheikh has been appointed to head the Multan election tribunal to handle challenges related to the constituencies of Multan, Bhakkar, Khanewal, Vehari, and Sahiwal.
Regarding reassigned areas, Justice Sultan Tanvir and Justice Sardar Mohammad Sarfraz Dogar, from the existing Lahore and Multan ETs, will now hear poll disputes in different jurisdictions. Justice Tanvir will preside over challenges related to Kasur, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, and Sialkot constituencies, while Justice Dogar will address matters pertaining to Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, and Rajanpur constituencies.
In a previous ruling on May 29, an LHC bench allowed two petitions filed by PTI-backed independent candidates Advocate Salman Akram Raja and Rao Omar Hashim Khan, prompting the ECP to notify six additional ETs for Punjab within a week, as requested by the LHC chief justice. Failure to do so would lead to the court’s action.
The ECP, however, plans to challenge the LHC’s order in the Supreme Court, considering it irrelevant after the enactment of the Elections (Amendments) Ordinance, 2024. Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja questioned the law’s provision empowering the ECP to appoint election tribunals, emphasizing the ECP’s role beyond that of a mere post office.
Meanwhile, a lawyer commented on the involvement of the LHC chief justice in decision-making processes, considering the impending elevation of Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan to the Supreme Court. The lawyer suggested that judges nominated for elevation usually abstain from administrative duties to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
On another front, Justice Karim of the LHC will hear a petition filed by Advocate Salman Akram Raja, challenging the ECP’s authority to appoint ETs and transfer poll disputes. The petition contests the legality of the ECP’s appointment of retired judges without prior consultation with the LHC chief justice, questioning its impact on judicial independence and constitutional principles.
