The Supreme Court expresses concern on an election meeting between the ECP and the Punjab Chief Electoral Officer.
If the LHC order requires it, according to CJ Bandial, the ECP ought to undertake conversations with the governor regarding provincial elections.
ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial stated that the Punjab governor should be consulted by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the event that the Lahore High Court (LHC) orders it to do so before the date of the provincial assembly election in Punjab is announced.
The Supreme Court was now hearing the appeals of PTI defectors from the Punjab Assembly who had been denotified by the ECP for breaking party rules by supporting Hamza Shehbaz of the PML-N in the Punjab chief minister election last year.
Votes cast against party doctrine “cannot be counted and must be ignored,” the supreme court had decided.
However, the court had shown attention in a few “interesting questions” that the de-seated MPAs had brought up.
However, after hearing the arguments today, the court dismissed the appeals because they had not persuaded the panel that the issue merited additional investigation.
The impending elections in the PA were also brought up during the sessions.
When questioned if the LHC had ordered the ECP to organise polls, CJ Bandial also enquired as to how the electoral body was carrying out the directives.
The commission had a meeting with Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman, the DG ECP reported to the court.
There are “chances he would take legal routes on the problem,” the ECP official said, adding that “the minutes for the meeting with other governor have not yet been obtained.”
The CJ then questioned the ECP’s decision to contact the governor.
Justice Ayesha Malik questioned, “Why have you felt the need to engage consultations for the elections?”
Justice Athar Minallah remarked, “Perhaps the high court ordered the ECP to speak with the governor.”
The CJP pointed out that if the LHC had truly given such directions, the ECP should keep talking.
It should be mentioned that on February 10, on a petition submitted by the PTI, LHC Justice Jawad Hassan directed the ECP to hold elections in the province within 90 days of the dissolution of the provincial parliament. Last month, the Punjab Assembly was dissolved.
As a result of the participants’ inability to agree on a date for the general elections in Punjab, the meeting between the ECP and the governor yesterday remained fruitless.
It was determined that the governor would approach the LHC to get an interpretation of its judgement from February 10.
