The PTI has criticised the ECP for postponing the meeting over the Punjab elections.
Fawad issues a warning to the electoral body, telling them not to treat the constitution or court rulings as a “joke.”
Fawad Chaudhry, senior vice president of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), criticised the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Sunday for failing to convene a meeting to discuss today’s Punjab elections despite being ordered to do so by the court.
The PTI leader claimed that there is a widespread perception that “the ECP will not run provincial elections as it did in Islamabad” because of its composition of munshis.
This “fiddling with the constitution” will cost the nation dearly, he warned the election watchdog, warning it “not to make a farce of the constitution and court orders.”
Fawad tweeted that the constitution is the only document on which both parties have agreed, and that its violation would put Pakistan in “severe peril.”
“Our movement for the supremacy of the constitution is prepared to say enough is enough. Jail Bharo will serve as the catalyst for this campaign, which will last until the constitution is reinstated “said he.
In order to ensure that elections for the Punjab Assembly were held not later than 90 days as required by the constitution, the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the ECP to immediately announce the date of those elections after consulting with the governor, who serves as the province’s constitutional head.
ECP will convene tomorrow.
In response to the LHC’s directives, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja has called a high-level conference for tomorrow, February 13, at the commission’s office to discuss and finalise the Punjab Assembly election timetable.
The LHC will examine its decision during the meeting and deliberate on its future course of action as well as how to carry out the decision to hold the provincial assembly general election.
The PTI and, more recently, President Dr. Arif Alvi have made harsher demands for the election supervisory body to announce the date of the elections. Dr. Arif Alvi has urged the commission to issue the election calendar for the Punjab and K-P provincial assembly right away.
President Alvi stated in a letter to CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja that Article 224(2) of the constitution requires that elections for a parliament be held within 90 days of the dissolution.
