PTI withdrew its contempt of court petition against CEC and other officials.
After Fawad withdrew his challenge, the High Court of the Land disposes of the petition seeking action against the government for not complying with court instructions.
After the petition was dropped by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry, the Lahore High Court (LHC) dismissed it on Tuesday against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and others for disobeying orders to hold elections in Punjab.
Notably, Justice Muzamil Akhtar Shabir of the LHC ordered the ECP to make a decision on a PTI plea including complaints about the transfers of 22 officers and bureaucrats that, according to the PTI, could have an impact on elections in Punjab, within seven days.
After the ECP later disobeyed the orders, Fawad filed a petition asking the court to hold the ECP in contempt of court and to order the concerned quarters to stop posting 22 officers to Punjab until the upcoming general elections in the province are held and the formation of the government is complete.
The PTI attorney had pleaded with the court during earlier proceedings to halt the appointment of the aforementioned officers because they could have an impact on the approaching elections.
However, the law officer disagreed with the petitioner’s counsel’s assertion that the government “assists” the ECP in holding elections, saying that it is the government’s responsibility to uphold law and order.
Fawad asked the court to permit him to withdraw the petition as the hearings got underway today, and the court then decided the case.
Petition
Fawad Chaudhry, a senior member of the PTI, filed the petition and named as respondents the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab, the Chief Secretary of the Province of Punjab, the Secretary to Government of Punjab, the ECP through its secretary, and the Federation of Pakistan through its secretary establishment division.
Fawad claimed in his petition that his political party is among those aggrieved by the ECP’s and other respondents’ failure to address the grievance he had raised through his application, in which he had written to the ECP on January 25 to express grave concerns about 22 senior government officers (11 PAS/PMS Officers and 11 officers of the Police Service) and to ask that they not be given postings in the province during the current fiscal year.
