The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday declared Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision on delay in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) election null and void.
The Supreme Court, in its verdict, declared the electoral body’s decision to hold polls on October 8 as “unconstitutional”.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar, announced that Punjab polls should be conducted on May 14.
Regarding the elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the three-member bench said during the course of the hearing nobody represented the provincial governor therefore the issue, only till this extent, will remain under debate.
The court maintained that 13 days were wasted because of the ECP’s unlawful decision, directing the caretaker government in Punjab to assist the commission and instructed the ECP to inform the court if the government refused to do so.
The last date for submitting appeals against the decision of the Returning Officers will be April 10. The Election Tribunal will decide on the appeals on April 17.
It added that the federal government should provide Rs21 billion in funds by April 10 to the ECP and directed the body to present a report on the issue by April 11.
The verdict also said that the Supreme Court will issue instructions to the authorities concerned in case the funds are not provided.
“Punjab government should give a security plan to the Election Commission,” said the top court’s verdict. It added that Punjab’s interim cabinet and chief secretary should report to the ECP regarding the electoral staff by April 10.
The ECP had earlier set the date for elections in Punjab on April 30, but later it was postponed to October 8 — in Punjab and KP as well — prompting the opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), to file a plea in the top court.
The apex court — which initiated proceedings on PTI’s petition on March 27 — reserved the verdict a day earlier, saying it would announce it the next day, April 4.
It is pertinent to mention here that the coalition government had raised reservations on the three member supreme court bench and demanded a full to hear the case. In a National Assembly meeting yesterday, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif categorically said the ruling coalition had no-confidence in the three-member SC bench.
