ECP Plea
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan commenced hearings on Friday evening regarding the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) appeal against the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) order, which had halted the training of district returning officers (DROs) and returning officers (ROs). The ECP sought the Supreme Court’s declaration that the LHC’s verdict, impacting the polling process, be deemed null and void, urging the implementation of its directive to conduct elections on February 8.
A three-member bench, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and including Justices Sardar Tariq and Mansoor Ali Shah, presided over the appeal. Despite the late hour, the court reconvened, responding to the electoral body’s decision to file the appeal against the LHC order. The LHC’s ruling complicated the scheduling of the February 8 general elections by suspending the ECP’s notification to appoint ROs and DROs from the bureaucracy.
The hearing unfolded with the ECP pleading for the Supreme Court’s intervention to uphold its proposed election date. Major political parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party, Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid, Balochistan Awami Party, and Awami National Party, joined the case as parties of interest.
The CJP expressed concern over the LHC’s order and questioned the urgency of the appeal. The ECP’s lawyer, Sajeel Swati, explained that the LHC had suspended the commission’s notification to appoint ROs and DROs from the bureaucracy, effectively halting the election process. The PTI had filed a petition in the LHC, opposing the appointment of DROs and ROs from the executive, and the LHC accepted it, leading to the suspension of the ECP’s notification.
The Chief Justice criticized the LHC’s order, stating it seemed like an attempt to postpone the polls. The hearing underscored the pressing need for a resolution due to the constitutional deadline for announcing the election schedule, scheduled for December 17. The court adjourned the hearing, leaving the decision on implementing the 54-day period for the conduct of elections pending.
The political landscape remains tense, with major parties, including the PPP, PML-N, and PTI, asserting their preference for elections on February 8 and expressing concerns about the uncertainty arising from the legal battles.
PML-N stance is that the polls be staged on February 8. We believe in transparent polls and we are already gearing up for elections,” the party spokesperson noted.
This ongoing legal and political conundrum traces back to the premature dissolution of the 15th National Assembly and the subsequent complexities arising from the constitutional timeline, census results, and procedural challenges within the electoral process. The Supreme Court’s decision will significantly impact the course of upcoming general elections in Pakistan. Overall, Supreme Court hears ECP plea against LHC order halting DROs and ROs training in a poll-related dispute.
