ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court will resume hearing of suo motu notice regarding delay in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) elections.
The federal government, attorney general, Election Commission of Pakistan, advocates general of the four provinces, and the advocate general of the Islamabad Capital Territory received notices from the court to submit their response in this case.
The court will resume hearing today at 11 am in Islamabad.
Delay in Punjab, KP elections
In response to an apparent delay in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) elections, Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial took a suo motu notice on Wednesday and constituted a larger bench to hear the case.
Meanwhile, at Imran Khan’s request, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) disbanded the parliamentary bodies in mid-January.
The Chief Justice of Pakistan has constituted a nine-member bench to hear the suo motu case.
However, the governors of these two provinces refused to give elections date.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial took a suo motu notice on Wednesday. He took notice following President Dr. Arif Alvi’s announcement of setting April 9 as the provincial assembly elections date. However, the government has denounced the decision, deeming it to be in violation of the constitution and illegal.
The 9-member bench will be headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, comprising Justices Ijazul Ahsan, Mansoor Ali Shah, Muneeb Akhtar, Yahya Afridi, Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Jamal Mandokhel, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, and Athar Minallah.
SC takes suo motu notice
Additionally, the apex court will determine the responsible entity for conducting the elections.
The court’s statement stated, “It is the government’s responsibility to conduct elections in Punjab and KP according to the Constitution.”
Furthermore, SC stated that two provincial assemblies were also dissolved on Jan 14 and 18.
“Under Article 224 (2), polls should be held within 90 days of the assembly dissolution. The Constitution mandates that polls be held within 90 days.”
Islamabad High Court also requested SC for the date of the elections.
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