PTI approaches SC against ECP’s decision to postpone Punjab elections

Islamabad: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) filed constitutional petitions in the Supreme Court (SC) against decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to change the date of elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Punjab and KPK assemblies’ speakers Sibtain Khan and Mushtaq Ghani have filed a joint constitutional petition on behalf of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf.

Different leaders including Asad Umar, Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed and Abdul Rehman filed a joint petition in the top court.

They made the federation; Punjab and KPK as respondents along with the ministry of parliamentary affairs, ministry of law and the cabinet in the PTI petition.

A contempt petition was moved to the Supreme Court against ECP for postponing elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. In contempt plea moved by G. M Chaudhary, the prime minister, chief ministers, Governor KP and Chief Election Commissioner were made parties.

The petition said that the Supreme Court had ordered the election commission and federal government for holding elections in Punjab and KP.

It also said that all the state institutions were bound to enforce the supreme court’s orders and non-compliance would be contempt of the court under Article 204 of the constitution.

The petitioner said that the government was spending funds on projects that could not be preferred over elections while the government misinterpreting the supreme court’s March 1st order and intended to escape from the elections.

He asked the court to initiate contempt of the court proceedings against the government under the constitution and ordered the respondents to hold elections as per the orders of the Supreme Court.

The petition came after the ECP postponed Punjab elections due on April 30 till Oct 8 due to security reasons.