Punjab polls: SC to hear ECP’s review plea today

Islamabad: Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan Tuesday will hear a plea filed by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against court’s decision to hold election in Punjab province on May 14.

According to details, a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Atta Bandial comprising Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar will hear the case.

The cause list issued by the Apex Court, the hearing on the appeal of ECP will be held on May 23 (today) at 12:15pm. Notice has been sent to the Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan and others in this regard.

Federal government and the caretaker government of Punjab have submitted separate responses to the Supreme Court, while the same position has been adopted which stated that the court did not have the authority to issue the date for the election and it should review its decision of April 4.

In the separate responses of the federal and Punjab governments, the orders to hold elections on May 14 have been declared as a violation of the constitutional division of powers. The Punjab government has also referred to the May 9 incidents, and both have requested the Supreme Court to review the April 4 verdict.

Federal government responded that it is constitutional responsibility of ECP to conduct free and transparent elections. The Supreme Court itself invalidated the authority of the election commission by giving a date.

It added: "Punjab province has the largest number of seats in the National Assembly, the central government is determined by the victory in it. Therefore elections in Punjab should be held with National Assembly".

The caretaker government of Punjab took the stand that giving the date of May 14 for the election in the province is a violation of the constitutional division of powers, on the basis of which court did not give the date for the election in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

"Since the arrest of chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan, civil and military properties were damaged in violent protests, the security situation in the province has changed after the events of May 9," it continued.

As per the security situation, 5,54,000 security personnel are required for the elections in Punjab, however, only 77,000 constables are available to perform the duty.